Medeola asparagoides

Giorgio Bonelli prints come from the Hortus Romanus, the great illustrated catalogue of the plants in Rome's botanical garden. Bonelli, a papal physician and professor, directed the first volume in 1772, and the work grew to eight volumes and 800 plates. Our collection of fine art prints includes herbs, vegetables, bulbs, water plants, cacti, medicinal plants and garden flowers, each labelled in Latin, Italian, French and English.

About Giorgio Bonelli

Giorgio Bonelli was born at Vico (Vicoforte), near Mondovì in Piedmont, on 5 July 1724. He trained in medicine in Turin, lectured at the Sapienza university in Rome from 1757 and served more than once as chief physician to the pope. He probably died in 1803.

Around 1770 the Rome publishers Bouchard and Gravier asked him to direct a catalogue of the plants growing in Rome's botanical garden on the Janiculum hill. Volume I of the Hortus Romanus appeared in 1772, with the plants arranged by Tournefort's older system.

After the first volume, the botany professor Nicola Martelli took over and gave the later volumes a more Linnaean slant; the eighth and last came out in 1793. The 800 plates were drawn from specimens prepared by the garden's custodian Liberato Sabbati and his son Costantino, with drawings credited to Cesare Ubertini and engraving by Magdalena Bouchard.

Style and Subjects

Bonelli did not draw the plates himself; he directed the book. Each plate shows one plant large on the page, often with its root, bulb, flower and seed drawn together, so you can see the whole plant at once. The lines are clean and the colour, added by hand to only a small number of copies, is clear and fresh.

The names run along the foot of the plate in four languages, which gives the sheets a handsome, old-library look. The range is wide, from kitchen herbs such as sage, rosemary and thyme to exotic cacti, spurges and passion flowers that were new and exciting in 1700s Rome.

Famous Works

• White Water-Lily (Nymphaea alba major) (1772–1793). A full white flower with a golden heart in front of one vast, dark green leaf.
• Tall Bearded Iris (Iris major latifolia) (1772–1793). The Roman blue iris in deep violet with a yellow beard, drawn with its rhizome.
• Tomato (Lycopersicon) (1772–1793). An early portrait of the tomato in Italy, when it was called pomidoro.
• Mandrake (Mandragora fructu rotundo) (1772–1793). The legendary mandrake, drawn root and all.
• Prickly Pear (Opuntia major) (1772–1793). A spiny cactus with flat pads and fruit.
• Passion Flower (Murucuia pyriformis) (1772–1793). A red passion flower climbing across the page.
• Double Red Peony (Paeonia foemina flore pleno) (1772–1793). A lush double peony in deep red.

Decorating with Bonelli Prints

The Hortus Romanus herbs and vegetables are a natural fit for a kitchen or dining room. A row of sage, rosemary, thyme and mint, or a pair of tomato and aubergine plates, looks smart in simple wood frames.

The flowers, from the water-lily to the iris and peony, suit bedrooms, living rooms and hallways. Hang a grid of six or nine in matching frames for a botanical-library look, or use the tall iris on a narrow wall. The cacti and spurges pair well with modern interiors and real houseplants.

FAQ

Who was Giorgio Bonelli?

Giorgio Bonelli (1724–1803) was an Italian physician and professor at the Sapienza university in Rome, and chief papal physician. He directed the first volume of the Hortus Romanus in 1772.

What is the Hortus Romanus?

An eight-volume catalogue of the plants in Rome's botanical garden, published from 1772 to 1793 with 800 engraved plates.

Did Bonelli draw the plates?

No. The drawings are credited to Cesare Ubertini, from specimens prepared by Liberato and Costantino Sabbati, and the engraving to Magdalena Bouchard. Bonelli directed the project.

Where can I see the Hortus Romanus?

Copies are held by libraries such as the University of Florence Science Library and can be viewed by appointment or online. The Orto Botanico in Rome, the successor of the papal garden, is open to visitors.

Why are the plant names in four languages?

Each plate gives the Latin name with Italian, French and English names, so the book could be used by readers across Europe.

Related Artists

• Pierre-Joseph Redouté: French master of botanical illustration a generation later
• Georg Dionysius Ehret: leading botanical artist of the 1700s
• Johann Wilhelm Weinmann: German apothecary behind an earlier great plant book
• Elizabeth Blackwell: 1700s author and artist of an illustrated herbal