Pair Of Botanical Lithographs, Mangosteen And Cashew, Flora Of Java, 1863

These large and spectacular chromolithographs are from the folio volume Fleurs, Fruits et Feuillages, choisis de l'île Java: peints d'après nature (1863). The lithographs are by Pieter De Pannemaeker in Belgium, after paintings for the work by Berthe Hoola van Nooten in Java. An outstanding botanical illustrator, Hoola van Nooten’s works are flamboyant but extremely accurate, showing the plants as they actually are, complete with blemishes and imperfections. In the words of Lucia Tongiorgi Tomasi: Van Nooten was clearly a more than competent artist, for the splendid tropical plants, with their lush foliage, vividly coloured flowers and exotic fruit, have been depicted with great skill. She managed to accentuate the splendour of each species by adopting a style that combined great precision and clarity with a touch of neo-Baroque exuberance, reveling in the rich forms and colours of the tropics. The reader's eye is immediately captured by the dark leaves, shown furled or crumpled or partly nibbled away by insects, the delicately rendered details of the follicles and seeds, and the heavy clusters of flowers that cascade down the page. The excellent reproduction of the artist's drawings in the form of chromolithographs lends a tactile quality to these striking images. Here we present a matched pair, depicting two edible species: mangosteen and cashew, showing the leaves, fruits, and flowers, together with additional detailed monochrome sketches in the margins. The facing page of the book, with a description of the plant in French and English, is preserved behind glass to the rear of the piece, facing the wall when hung. Framed and glazed. Each frame: 53cm wide, 71cm high Each picture: 33cm wide, 50cm high Please enquire about shipping and delivery arrangements. Local delivery (or collection) is always free of charge.