Florilegium: The Book of Plants - Bibliotheca Universalis Series

$25.00 at Philadelphia Museum of Art.

In 367 exquisite plates, this treasure of botanical literature records the flowers of the palatial grounds at Eichstätt, Bavaria, once some of the most beautiful gardens in history. The illustrations are organized by season and, following the classification system used today, show plants belonging to a total of 90 families and covering 340 genera. First published in 1613, the 367 copperplate engravings by Basilius Besler (1561–1629) capture the spectacular diversity of the palatial gardens of…