Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin | Florae austriacae, Vienna, 1773–78, 5 vols, contemporary half russia

Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin

Florae austriacae, sive plantarum selectarum in Austriae Archiducatu sponte crescentium, icones. Vienna: Leopold Johann Kaliwoda, 1773–1778

FIRST EDITION, 5 volumes, folio (470 x 275mm.), half-titles, titles with hand-coloured engraved topographical vignettes, 501 engraved plates, all but one coloured by hand, contemporary half russia, spines gilt, bindings slightly rubbed, joints cracked, some wear to extremities

Jacquin’s rare Austrian flora contains fine plates by his principal artist, Franz von Scheidl. It is a typical monument of the grand Austrian botanical book era which royal patronage made possible. This work and Waldstein and Kitaibel’s flora are the only two “great flower books” devoted to Austrian flora. Blunt described it as ranking with the Flora Danica, Flora Graeca and Flora Londinensis, “the finest books dealing with wild flowers of a European country”.

LITERATURE:

Dunthorne 151; Great Flower Books, p. 61; Nissen BBI 971; Stafleu TL2 3247