So Many Sweet Flowers: A Seventeenth-Century Florilegium

An exquisite collection of 17th-century watercolor paintings and engravings of rare flowers and plants, complemented by an anthology of writings from the age. In the mid-17th century, the Count of Nassau set about the restoration of his castle at Idstein near Frankfurt, including the creation of a garden of rare plants and flowers. So pleased was he with his new garden that he commissioned Johann Walther, an artist famed for his skill as a miniaturist and painter of natural forms, to make a record of the garden and all its species. The result is a breathtaking collection of flowers of the period--lilies, roses, fritillaries, hollyhocks, aquilegias, and anemones among them. Accompanying the paintings are engravings from some of the great botanical artists, snippets from gardening calendars and handbooks, a selection of poems and quotations, as well as the history of each flower and the folklore surrounding it. A book that will not fail to charm garden enthusiasts and all who appreciate botanical art. 104 pp 8 x 9 44 color & 7 b/w illustrations