One from a collection of German hand-colored copper engravings by Johann Christoph Volkamer from Nurnbergische Hesperides (1708-1714), probably inspired by Ferrariu’s Hesperides (Rome, 1646); but whereas Ferrariu’s beribboned bunches of fruit and flowers are set against a plain background, Volkamer has filled in the lower part of his plants with delightful views of the gardens and palaces of Germany, Austria, and Italy. Volkamer, who was a wealthy Nuremberg merchant, had a fine orangery and engaged a variety of artists and engravers – among the latter was Paul Decker – to execute his plates, which are uncolored.

The engravings are priced individually.

Vetted Antique Shows/Fairs
Palm Beach | America’s International Fine Art and Antiques Fair, West Palm Beach, FL, 2007

Provenance
Germany
Private Collection, London, England
Mary Helen McCoy Fine Antiques, Memphis, Tennessee

Literature
Blunt & Stearn, The Art of Botanical Illustration, pp. 154