Johann Wilhelm Weinmann | Phytanthoza iconographia, Regensberg, 1735-1745

Johann Wilhelm Weinmann

Phytanthoza iconographia... collectarum plantarum, arborum, fruticum, florum fructuum, fungorum. Regensberg: Hieronymus Lentz [text volumes; plate volumes I-III] and Heinrich Georg Neubauer [plate volume IV], 1735-1745

6 volumes (2 text volumes, 4 plate volumes), folio (390 x 242 mm.), text volumes: mezzotint allegorical frontispiece of Ceres with attendants by J.J. Haid after Baumgartner and mezzotint portrait of Weinmann by Haid after M.C. Hirschman in volume I, mezzotint portrait of Bieler after Hirschman in volume II, the foregoing three mezzotints all printed in blue, titles in Latin and German in volume I (volume II lacking title), plate volumes: 1025 engraved and mezzotint plates (numbered 1-1025; 5 folding) printed in colour and finished by hand after Ehret, Asamin, and others by Bartolomäus Seuter, Johann Ridinger, and Johann Jakob Haid, contemporary panelled calf, spines with raised bands in eight compartments, worming at margins of first text volume, second text volume lacking title, slight dampstain at outer margins of mezzotint portraits, minor adhesive transfer on plate 2, dampstain to plate 225, plate 892 shaved at outer margin, a few plates with small closed tears (not affecting illustrations), title of third plate volume creased, spine of first plate volume repaired at foot

This is the first complete edition of an extremely valuable record of the plant kingdom as it was understood in the mid eighteenth century. The plants are ordered alphabetically, as was done just preceding the introduction of Linnaeus' revolutionary system of classification. The work is also valued for the high artistic standard of its plates, showing algae, bulbs, flowering plants, vegetables, fruits, shrubs, and trees. Weinmann's masterpiece was "the first botanical book to use colour-printed mezzotint successfully" (Hunt).

LITERATURE:

A Cleveland Herbal 388; Dunthorne 327; Hunt 494 (the preliminary issue); Nissen BBI 2126; Pritzel 10140; Stafleu TL2 17050