Wien, Kaiserlich-Königlichen Hof- und Staatsdruckerei [1855-1856]. Folio nature-printed plate (56.5 x 39.5 cm, circa 43 x 30 cm for printed area). With very wide margins.

This plate, showing the marsh hawk's-beard Crepis paludosa Mönch (Asteraceae) is one of the most fantastic examples of nature printing with very decorative botanical illustrations. Only nature printing can give a true 3D effect to a plate, and these are among the best ever made. The author and artist, Constantin Freiherr von Ettingshausen (1826-1897), was a professor of botany and major researcher of European fossil floras. He also had a great interest in nature printing, for its accuracy in transferring a real natural history object to an image on paper. Here, these interests were combined. Plate in very good condition, with only a few small and marginal imperfections never disturbing the printed area. The complete work consisted of five folio atlases with over 500 plates. According to Staffleu & Cowan: "the most important work produced by nature printing ever published". Even individual plates, such as this one are very rare. Fischer, 69; Staffleu and Cowan, 1723.