Phytanthoza iconographia Pl.080

Johann Wilhelm Weinmann prints come from Phytanthoza iconographia, one of the great flower books of the eighteenth century. Weinmann, a prosperous apothecary in Regensburg, commissioned more than 1,000 hand-coloured engravings of thousands of plants, with early drawings by the young Georg Dionysius Ehret. Our collection of fine art prints includes flowers, fruit, herbs and garden plants from its pages.

About Johann Wilhelm Weinmann

Johann Wilhelm Weinmann was born in Gardelegen on 13 March 1683, the son of a barber. By 1710 he had settled in Regensburg as an apothecary's assistant, and in 1712 he bought a house and apothecary shop of his own. He prospered, becoming a town councillor in 1722, and his success gave him the freedom to pursue botany and create a botanical garden.

Between 1737 and 1745 he produced the florilegium Phytanthoza iconographia, eight folio volumes with more than 1,000 hand-coloured engravings. He employed the young Georg Dionysius Ehret as an illustrator, and the plates were engraved by Bartholomäus Seuter, Johann Elias Ridinger and Johann Jakob Haid, using a printing process developed by Seuter that combined mezzotint with hand colouring.

Weinmann died in 1741, and the work was completed after his death by Ambrosius Karl Bieler.

Style and Subjects

The plates of Phytanthoza iconographia are lush and decorative. Several plants often share one page, set side by side, with flowers, fruit and leaves in rich, soft colour. The mezzotint process gives smooth tones and shading that look almost painted.

The book covers several thousand plants, and Weinmann was respected for his writing on medicinal plants and herbs. It is regarded as the first important botanical work to use colour-printed engravings.

Famous Works

• Phytanthoza iconographia, Pl. 001 (1737–1745). The opening plate of the great florilegium.
• Phytanthoza iconographia, Pl. 010 (1737–1745). A plate of flowering plants in soft colour.
• Phytanthoza iconographia, Pl. 041 (1737–1745). Another page from the first volumes.
• Phytanthoza iconographia, Pl. 110 (1737–1745). Plants shown side by side on one sheet.
• Phytanthoza iconographia, Pl. 174 (1737–1745). A plate from the middle of the work.
• Phytanthoza iconographia, Pl. 194 (1737–1745). A later plate in the series.

Decorating with Weinmann Prints

Weinmann's flower plates suit living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms and hallways, and they look especially good in a traditional or country-house interior. Hang a grid of four, six or nine in matching gilt or dark wood frames for a classic botanical wall.

The fruit and herb plates suit a kitchen or breakfast room, while single flower plates add soft colour to a guest room or bathroom.

FAQ

Who was Johann Wilhelm Weinmann?

Johann Wilhelm Weinmann (1683–1741) was a German apothecary and botanist in Regensburg, known for the florilegium Phytanthoza iconographia.

What is Phytanthoza iconographia?

An eight-volume flower book published between 1737 and 1745, with more than 1,000 hand-coloured engravings of several thousand plants.

Did Weinmann draw the plates?

No. He commissioned them. The young Georg Dionysius Ehret made drawings, and the engravers Seuter, Ridinger and Haid produced the plates.

Why is the book important?

It is recognised as the first important botanical work to use colour engraved prints, and it is praised for the accuracy of its images.

Did the book influence later works?

It is thought to have inspired later works such as the Japanese medicinal book Honzō Zufu (1828) by Iwasaki Tsunemasa.

Related Artists

• Georg Dionysius Ehret: made early drawings for the book
• Magdelena Rosina Funck: German flower painter of the generation before
• Maria Sibylla Merian: German painter of plants and insects
• Pierre-Joseph Redouté: later master of colour-printed flower plates