Hesperides: Citrus Fruits
Antique Prints of Citrus Fruits
Nuremberg Hesperides, 1708-1714 by Johann Volckamer (Volkamer)
Just look and enjoy the splendor of these leaves: copper engravings in magnificent color of citrus fruit and blossoms, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, whole and cut open, and all of them richly hanging in the sky over landscapes, architecture, gardens which Volckamer, a publisher at Nuremberg, placed in and around his city of Nuremberg and, in the "Continuation" after the Nuremberg sites, palazzi, country houses and gardens in northern Italy, mostly the area of Verona (titles indicate the name of the chateau, garden or town). Some of these extremely rare as well as uniquely decorative prints were engraved by Paulus Decker the Elder, L.C Glotsch, B. Kenckel, C.F. Krieger, J. A. Montalegre, W. Pfan, and J.C. Steinberger. The preparatory work for this comprehensive work goes back to 1695.
In the less benign climate of central Europe, where winters could be quite severe, it had become fashionable among the aristocracy and also among well-to-be burgers to create "orangeries" in their private parks, greenhouses, tall enough to house even palmtrees in the wintertime. the frost-endangered citrus plants were wheeled out for the summer and back into the greenhouse late in fall to hybernate in a climate artificially created by heating. It was a longing for warmth and the Mediterranean which people craved in the North. And J. Volckamer created exactly the stuff, that dreams of this kind are made of.
Volckamer ( Volkamer), Johann Christoph: "Nurembergische Hesperides, oder gruendliche Beschreibung der edelen Citronat-, Citronen und Pomeranzen-Fruechte, wie solche in selbiger und benachbarten Gegend, recht mögen eingesetzt, gewartet, erhalten und fortgebracht werden.Sampt einer ausführlichen Erzehlung der meisten Sorten, welche theils zu Nürnberg würcklich gewachsen, theils von verschiedenen fremden Orten dahin gebracht worden..." und "Continuation der Nürnbergischen Hesperidum, oder fernere gründliche Beschreibung...."
Folio average 34 x 21.5 cm (13.39 x 8.46") Nuremberg, 1708-14. Some light spotting is normal. All have light age toning. Left margins are narrow. Paper is lightly uneven.
