Ghent 1850.

Very nice original color lithograph from approx. 1850. From Van Houtte's important flower magazine "Flore des Serres" -- sheet dimensions approx. 25 x 16 cm -- with accompanying text sheet. -- slightly stained, otherwise in good condition. || Magnificent color lithograph from c. 1850. -- Out of Louis Benoit van Houtte's work "Flore des Serres et des Jardins de lEurope", published between 1845 and 1883. -- with accompanying text sheet. -- slightly stained, otherwise in good condition. || Louis Benoît van Houtte (1810-1876) was a renowned Belgian horticulturist. Upon returning from an expedition to Brazil, he founded the Ecole d'Horticulture in his hometown Ghent. Around the same time, together with French botanist Charles Lemaire, he started publishing the horticultural journal Flore des serres et des Jardins de l'Europe. One of the first horticulture works published in Europe in the 19th century, this work showcased over 2000 splendid hand-finished engravings and lithographs that illustrate and describe various botanical species from all around the globe. The craftsmanship of Belgian lithographers such as De Pannemaker or Louis-Constantin Stroobant is evident in the impressive and beautifully colored prints that illustrated the work across a period of almost 40 years. The volumes comprise numerous species of flowers, including rare, exotic or tropical ones. Most of them were available in Van Houtte's own nursery, founded in Ghent, which soon became the largest and most flourishing one in Europe. Van Houtte's Journal thus doubles as a catalog of the botanical species in his nursery.

Order number: 236168