Treatise on Fruit Trees Pl.12
Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau
1768
Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau’s 18th-century botanical plate is a deliciously detailed love letter to the Guigne cherry, a variety prized for its sweet, dark fruit. Created for his massive treatise on fruit trees, this hand-colored engraving breaks down the plant anatomy with scientific precision, showing everything from the delicate blossoms at the top to the serrated leaves and clusters of glossy, deep-red cherries. The artist even included cross-sections labeled 'Fig. 1' through 'Fig. 3' to reveal the juicy interior and the smooth pit, proving that science and art have always been tasty bedfellows. It’s a perfect snapshot of the Enlightenment-era obsession with cataloging nature, making you almost taste the summer sweetness just by looking at it.
- Technique
- Hand-colored engraving