A Collection of Ten Abraham Munting Botanical Engravings from Naauwkeurige Beschryving Der Aardgewassen (1696)
Description
A Collection of Ten Abraham Munting Botanical Engravings from Naauwkeurige Beschryving Der Aardgewassen (1696)
Late 17th Century
Seven Munting prints are framed in matching gilt frames with ivory French mats and retain paper labels and information from Towbridge Gallery (London, England), Plate: approximate height 12 x width 8 inches. Frame: height 25 x width 20.
Three Munting prints are framed in larger matching gilt frames with sage green French mats with marbling and retain paper labels from The Martha Lincoln Gallery (Vero Beach, Florida), Plate: approximate height 12 x width 8 inches. Frame: height 27 1/2 x width 22 1/2 inches.
Together with three later associated botanical prints are framed in custom water gilt frames with sage green parcel gilt mats, Plate: height 14 1/2 x width 9 1/2 inches. Frame: height 25 1/2 x width 20 1/2 inches.
This lot is located in Palm Beach.
Property from the Buck Family Collection, Philadelphia
Condition
The prints are in overall good condition and free of rips/tears but retain varying degrees of yellowing and some present considerable foxing which is visible in photos. The frames are structurally sound and in overall very good, ready-to-place condition.
Provenance
Abraham Munting (1626-1683) was a notable Dutch botanist and botanical artist, born in Groningen as the son of Henricus Munting. He began his studies under his father before attending universities in Franeker, Utrecht, and Leiden. Munting also spent two years in France, where he earned an M.D. degree in Angers. After returning to Groningen in 1651, Munting joined the faculty at Rijkshogeschool Groningen, which later became the University of Groningen. He dedicated 24 years to teaching botany and chemistry. Following his father’s passing in 1658, he took charge of the Hortus Botanicus Groninganus, the botanical garden, where he remained until his death. Munting maintained connections with fellow botanists who sent him seeds from diverse regions, including the Dutch East and West Indies, Africa, and the Americas. His personal life was marked by tragedy when his daughter, Hester, died after consuming Deadly Nightshade from the garden, prompting him to explore the medicinal properties of plants more deeply. Munting is best known for his posthumously published work, Naauwkeurige Beschryving Der Aardgewassen (1696). This book, an improved version of his earlier Waare Oeffening der Planten, gained popularity for its innovative approach to botanical illustration. Unlike traditional depictions, Munting's plants were often illustrated against classic or pastoral landscapes, sometimes appearing to float in midair with little attention to perspective or scale. After Munting's death in 1683, his son Albert Munting succeeded him in managing the Hortus Botanicus Groninganus. In recognition of his contributions to botany, the genus Muntingia was named in his honor by Linnaeus in 1753.
