This plate is one of the classics of the Curtis volumes & likely a First Edition print, which are generally very rare. Appears to be on the original wove paper. This print seems to have become very scarce in the market.

The publication:  The "Botanical Magazine" was first published in 1787 by William Curtis (1746-1799). After William Curtis passed, the magazine was published by his brother, Thomas Curtis. Later, Samuel Curtis (a son-in-law of William Curtis) became proprietor from 1801 to 1845. The prints in the first volumes were copper plates colored by hand. Some of the later prints were lithographs.

Some of the distinguished artists were Sydenham Edwards, John Curtis, William Jackson Hooker, W.H. Fitch, William Graves and Matilda Smith. These prints have a universal beauty and are a lasting documentary contribution to botanical studies.

The Artists: This plate was engraved & hand-colored after a painting by Sydenham Edwards & is signed by 'S. Edwards del.' (Sydenham Teak Edwards, 1768 - 1819) as well as the engraver, 'F. Sansom Sc.' (Francis Sansom, active 1785-1799).

The drawing & coloring are quite stunning. It's a beautiful plate, full of the passion that the early flower painters, botanists & gardeners had for these amazing flowers, many of which were discovered in the pristine reaches of the ever-expanding British Empire & by intrepid explorers of the time.

These gorgeously drawn, engraved & water-colored original prints were presented on their page with consistently balanced, beautiful compositions.

Every part of these prints was made by hand: Hand drawn & engraved on Copper which was hand-mined, smelted & rolled, printed onto handmade cotton rag paper, inked & colored with hand-ground pigments individually by hand, & they were usually hand sewn into handmade leather-bound books.

Condition: Appears to be in excellent, near pristine condition for a centuries-old engraving. The hand-coloring appears to remain sharp & brilliant as the day it was painted.

These prints are very old & may have minor imperfections expected with age, such as some typical age-toning of the paper, oxidation of the old original watercolors, spots, text-offsetting, artifacts from having been bound into a book, etc. Please examine the photos & details carefully.

Text Page(s): This one comes with its original text page.

About this gorgeous flower:

• Gladiolus recurvus is also known as Watsonia recurva, Gladiolus modestus & commonly Voorlopertjie in Afrikaans.
• It's a perennial geophyte that belongs to the genus Gladiolus a member of the Iridaceae, which includes Irises & Crocuses among others).
• It's found in the fynbos (a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa).
• The plant is endemic to the Western Cape and occurs from Ceres to Somerset West . The plant has given up much of its habitat over the past 100 years to the planting of vineyards, grain fields, olive groves & fruit.
• This redlisted flower is threatened by agriculture, pollution, Invasive Species, Habitat loss & Habitat degradation.

Size: 5 1/2 x 9" inches approximately.

Shipping: Multiple prints combine into one USPS Flat-Rate envelope. If you'd like to combine & need more time to choose, please send a message & we'll do our best to oblige. If you're assessed multiple shipping for one combined package, we'll endeavor to refund any overage asap.

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