PASSE, Crispin de, the younger (1597-1670). [ Hortus Floridus .] A garden of flowers, wherein very lively is contained a true and perfect discription of al the flowers contained in these foure following bookes . Utrecht: Salomon de Roy for Crispin de Passe, 1615.
PASSE, Crispin de, the younger (1597-1670). [ Hortus Floridus .] A garden of flowers, wherein very lively is contained a true and perfect discription of al the flowers contained in these foure following bookes . Utrecht: Salomon de Roy for Crispin de Passe, 1615. 5 parts in one volume, small oblong 2° (193 x 297mm). Text to Parts I-IV in English, text to Altera Pars in Latin. Additional engraved title in Latin, general typographic title with 'The Book to his Readers' on verso within ornamental border, final leaf G2r within ornamental border, 2 engraved plates of garden views, allegorical engraved plate 'Epigramma', letterpress titles to parts II-IV and Altera pars , engraved frontispiece 'Cognoscite lilia agri' to Altera Pars with explanatory text to plates I and II on verso, 164 engraved plates, 61 of which in the Altera Pars with explanatory text on versos, one plate in part III and one plate in part IV also with Latin text on versoes. (Additional engraved title mounted on a stub, reinforced at margins and short at bottom margin, text leaf G2 misbound at end after Altera Pars , a few plates remargined, some light soiling and creasing, a few very short marginal nicks and chips.) Contemporary limp vellum (recased with stitching renewed, rubbed and soiled with some creasing), contained in a modern morocco-backed box. Provenance : Watts (ink ownership inscription on pl. 7 in part II 'Gardener to his Majesty'; possibly Richard Watts, gardener to Prince George of Denmark at Camden House, St James's Palace and Windsor c.1700-1703) -- monogram in red crayon on title -- early ink pen trials to a couple of plates, mostly confined to margins but some into plate area, and plates in parts I-II numbered in ink manuscript both in margins and within plate area. ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS BOTANICAL ALBUMS OF THE 17TH CENTURY INCLUDING 168 ENGRAVED PLATES MAINLY BY CRISPIN DE PASSE THE YOUNGER; MORE AN ART BOOK THAN A REAL TREATY OF NATURAL HISTORY. The Hortus Floridus 'was without question the most popular florilegium ever published' ( An Oak Spring Flora ). The first edition appeared in 1614 in Latin and proved so popular that it was almost immediately followed by French, Dutch and English editions. THIS FIRST ENGLISH EDITION IS VERY RARE : in the introduction, it is enlarged with details on how to colour the plates. The first four parts include 106 plates by Crispin De Passe, the flowers being classified per season rather than per species. (98 plates of plants, a view of a garden repeated once, six more plates and an allegorical title). 'The plates are landscapes in miniature, embellished with animals and insects, and with the plants shown growing from the ground with a vigorous naturalism. The emphasis of the publication is on the common garden flowers, with a preponderance of spring bulbs' (Gill Saunders). These engravings cannot be seen as solely botanical illustrations as they also echo the artistic grammar of contemporary Flemish and Dutch painting. The following fifth part includes 61 plates featuring 120 numbered fruit trees and medical plants. According to Franken, these last series were executed by a German engraver rather than by a member of the De Passe family. As always, its composition is particular. As explained by Mrs Tongiori Tomassi, 'the plates were printed, then modified and assembled at different times between 1614 and 1617 with issues consisting of one of two Latin versions of the text or of Dutch, French and English letterpress titles and prefaces. This has led to a confusing situation ... Indeed, it is almost impossible to find any two that are identical.' Oak Spring Flora, 12 ('By uniting scientific illustration and the genre of the still-life in Hortus Floridus, van de Passe made available a precious repertory of floral images for artists such as van der Ast, Ambrosius Bosschaert and Roelandt Savery Some of the plates of single flowers were copied for other botanical works'); Saunders, Picturing Plants, 36-37
PASSE, Crispin de, the younger (1597-1670). [ Hortus Floridus .] A garden of flowers, wherein very lively is contained a true and perfect discription of al the flowers contained in these foure following bookes . Utrecht: Salomon de Roy for Crispin de Passe, 1615.
PASSE, Crispin de, the younger (1597-1670). [ Hortus Floridus .] A garden of flowers, wherein very lively is contained a true and perfect discription of al the flowers contained in these foure following bookes . Utrecht: Salomon de Roy for Crispin de Passe, 1615. 5 parts in one volume, small oblong 2° (193 x 297mm). Text to Parts I-IV in English, text to Altera Pars in Latin. Additional engraved title in Latin, general typographic title with 'The Book to his Readers' on verso within ornamental border, final leaf G2r within ornamental border, 2 engraved plates of garden views, allegorical engraved plate 'Epigramma', letterpress titles to parts II-IV and Altera pars , engraved frontispiece 'Cognoscite lilia agri' to Altera Pars with explanatory text to plates I and II on verso, 164 engraved plates, 61 of which in the Altera Pars with explanatory text on versos, one plate in part III and one plate in part IV also with Latin text on versoes. (Additional engraved title mounted on a stub, reinforced at margins and short at bottom margin, text leaf G2 misbound at end after Altera Pars , a few plates remargined, some light soiling and creasing, a few very short marginal nicks and chips.) Contemporary limp vellum (recased with stitching renewed, rubbed and soiled with some creasing), contained in a modern morocco-backed box. Provenance : Watts (ink ownership inscription on pl. 7 in part II 'Gardener to his Majesty'; possibly Richard Watts, gardener to Prince George of Denmark at Camden House, St James's Palace and Windsor c.1700-1703) -- monogram in red crayon on title -- early ink pen trials to a couple of plates, mostly confined to margins but some into plate area, and plates in parts I-II numbered in ink manuscript both in margins and within plate area. ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS BOTANICAL ALBUMS OF THE 17TH CENTURY INCLUDING 168 ENGRAVED PLATES MAINLY BY CRISPIN DE PASSE THE YOUNGER; MORE AN ART BOOK THAN A REAL TREATY OF NATURAL HISTORY. The Hortus Floridus 'was without question the most popular florilegium ever published' ( An Oak Spring Flora ). The first edition appeared in 1614 in Latin and proved so popular that it was almost immediately followed by French, Dutch and English editions. THIS FIRST ENGLISH EDITION IS VERY RARE : in the introduction, it is enlarged with details on how to colour the plates. The first four parts include 106 plates by Crispin De Passe, the flowers being classified per season rather than per species. (98 plates of plants, a view of a garden repeated once, six more plates and an allegorical title). 'The plates are landscapes in miniature, embellished with animals and insects, and with the plants shown growing from the ground with a vigorous naturalism. The emphasis of the publication is on the common garden flowers, with a preponderance of spring bulbs' (Gill Saunders). These engravings cannot be seen as solely botanical illustrations as they also echo the artistic grammar of contemporary Flemish and Dutch painting. The following fifth part includes 61 plates featuring 120 numbered fruit trees and medical plants. According to Franken, these last series were executed by a German engraver rather than by a member of the De Passe family. As always, its composition is particular. As explained by Mrs Tongiori Tomassi, 'the plates were printed, then modified and assembled at different times between 1614 and 1617 with issues consisting of one of two Latin versions of the text or of Dutch, French and English letterpress titles and prefaces. This has led to a confusing situation ... Indeed, it is almost impossible to find any two that are identical.' Oak Spring Flora, 12 ('By uniting scientific illustration and the genre of the still-life in Hortus Floridus, van de Passe made available a precious repertory of floral images for artists such as van der Ast, Ambrosius Bosschaert and Roelandt Savery Some of the plates of single flowers were copied for other botanical works'); Saunders, Picturing Plants, 36-37
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Create an alert![PASSE, Crispin de, the younger (1597-1670) [Hortus Floridus]...](http://www.christies.com/lotfinderimages/D59093/passe_crispin_de_the_younger_hortus_floridus_a_garden_of_flowers_where_d5909381g.jpg "Source: Christie's")
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