Johann Wilhelm Weinmann | [Phytanthoza iconographia, Dutch edition], Amsterdam, 1736-1748, fine engraved and mezzotint plates, printed in colours and finished by hand - photo 1
Johann Wilhelm Weinmann | [Phytanthoza iconographia, Dutch edition], Amsterdam, 1736-1748, fine engraved and mezzotint plates, printed in colours and finished by hand - photo 2
Johann Wilhelm Weinmann | [Phytanthoza iconographia, Dutch edition], Amsterdam, 1736-1748, fine engraved and mezzotint plates, printed in colours and finished by hand - photo 3
Johann Wilhelm Weinmann | [Phytanthoza iconographia, Dutch edition], Amsterdam, 1736-1748, fine engraved and mezzotint plates, printed in colours and finished by hand - photo 4
Johann Wilhelm Weinmann | [Phytanthoza iconographia, Dutch edition], Amsterdam, 1736-1748, fine engraved and mezzotint plates, printed in colours and finished by hand - photo 5

Johann Wilhelm Weinmann | [Phytanthoza iconographia, Dutch edition], Amsterdam, 1736-1748, fine engraved and mezzotint plates, printed in colours and finished by hand

Sold
£ 48 260
Auction dateClassic
28.11.2023 14:00UTC +01:00
Auctioneer
Sotheby´s
Event location
United Kingdom, London
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 1076612
Lot 89 | Johann Wilhelm Weinmann | [Phytanthoza iconographia, Dutch edition], Amsterdam, 1736-1748, fine engraved and mezzotint plates, printed in colours and finished by hand
Johann Wilhelm Weinmann

[Phytanthoza iconographia] Duidelyke Vertoning, Eeniger Duizend in alle vier waerelds deelen wassende Bomen, Stammen, Kruiden, Bloemen, Vrugten, en Uitwassen. Amsterdam: Zacharias Romberg, 1736-48

First Dutch edition, 4 volumes, folio (405 x 255mm.), volume 1 with mezzotint allegorical frontispiece of Ceres and mezzotint portraits of Weinmann and Bieler, all printed in blue, 1,025 ENGRAVED AND MEZZOTINT PLATES, (14 double-page, two folding) ALL PRINTED IN COLOUR AND FINISHED BY HAND by B. Seuter, J. E. Ridinger and J. J. Haid after G. D. Ehret, N. Asamin, and others (373 plates signed “S” [for Seuter] and 273 signed “H” [for Haid]). Seven (of eight) letterpress titles printed in red and black with engraved vignettes, two-page letterpress list of subscribers in volume 1, one-page letterpress publisher’s notice at back of volume 4, contemporary Dutch mottled calf, spines gilt in compartments, volume 1 without the first (of two ) title-pages, a few signs of wear to binding, spines sunned

A FINE COPY of the Dutch language edition of Weinmann’s botanical master-work, noted for being the first botanical book to use colour-printed mezzotint successfully and for earning Georg Dionysius Ehret his first major commission.

Better known by the Latin title Phytanthoza Iconographia, the Dutch version was issued nearly simultaneously with the Latin text, which was printed between 1737 and 1745. The plates in the Dutch work are reputed to be better than those in the Latin edition, because they were printed on higher quality paper.

Weinmann (1683-1741) was an apothecary from Regensburg whose success in business funded his interest in botany. He created a botanical garden there, and the present work—a comprehensive iconography of all the flowers, fruit, and vegetables in cultivation in early 18th century Europe—is based on his collection of plants. To illustrate it, he hired the brilliant young botanical artist Georg Dionysius Ehret (1708-1770), who, in his inexperience, agreed to terms highly unfavourable to himself. Disgusted with the miserly pay, Ehret wound up leaving the project after completing 500 designs, and his pivotal contribution to the work is nowhere acknowledged in the publication. The plates made an enormous impact on other artists, botanists, and printers, inspiring, among others, Christoph Jakob Trew, who saw his Plantae Selectae as an extension of Weinmann’s work (a properly-paid Ehret did the illustrations for Trew). The text was written by Johann Georg Nicolaus Dieterichs (1681-1737) and his son Ludwig Michael Dieterichs (1716-1747). Ambrosius Karl Bieler (1693-1747) supervised the project after Weinmann’s death.

Hunt tells us that “the mezzotint process used [here]… had been invented by Johann Teyler in the Netherlands around 1688. As practiced here by Bartholomaeus Seuter (1678-1754) and Johann Elias Ridinger (1698-1767), it was really a combination of etching and mezzotint, which made possible delicate lines and a very fine grain. The addition of hand-tinting brought about unusual and subtle effects. Some of the best work was done in later volumes by Johann Jakob Haid (1704-67)”.
Auction house category:Prints, graphics, books
Address of auction Sotheby´s
34-35 New Bond Street
W1A 2AA London
United Kingdom
Preview
28.11.2023
Phone +44 (0) 20 7293 5000
Phone +1 212 606 7000
Email
4FQ.AE2YUKFA@AYGLGHC3Y@
Conditions of purchaseConditions of purchase

Related terms

Frequently asked questions

First of all, you should register to be able to purchase at auction. After confirming your email address, enter your personal information in your user profile, such as your first name, last name, and mail address. Choose a lot from the upcoming auction and the maximum amount you want to place on it. After confirmation of your choice, we will send your application by e-mail to the appropriate auction house. If the auction house accepts a request, it will participate in the auction. You can view the current status of a bid at any time in your personal account in the "Bids" section.
Auctions are performed by auction houses and each of the auction houses describes their terms of auction. You can see the texts in the section "Auction information".
The results of the auction are published within a few days after the end of the auction. In the top menu of the site, find the tab "Auctions". Click on it and you will be on the auction catalog page, where you can easily find the category "Results". After opening it, select the desired auction from the list, enter and view the current status of the interested lot.
The information about the auction winners is confidential. The auction winner will receive a direct notification from the auction house responsible with instructions for further action: an invoice for payment and the manner in which the goods will be received.
Each of the auction houses has its own payment policy for the won lots. All auction houses accept bank transfers, most of them accept credit card payments. In the near future you will find detailed information for each case in the section "Auction information" on the page of the auction catalog and the lot.
Shipment of the won lot depends on its size. Small items can be delivered by post. Larger lots are sent by courier. Employees of the auction houses will offer you a wide range to choose from.
No. The archive serves as a reference for the study of auction prices, photographs and descriptions of works of art.