Tuesday 23 December 2008

Begonia rex


From: Flore des serres et des jardins de l’Europe by Charles Lemaire and others. Gent, Louis van Houtte, 1857, volume 12, plate 1255-1258. 2 chromolithographs finished by hand
The founder, publisher and part-editor of this lavish Belgian periodical was Louis van Houtte, the propietor of the largest nursery of its time on the continent. It appeared monthly for almost 40 years and was published by his own printing office in the middle of the gardens, the Horto van Houtteano. All the plants shown were for sale in his nursery and include many exotics. The work is notable for the craftmanship of the Belgian lithographers Severeyns, Stroobant and De Pannemaker, who had mastered the art of colour-printing from stone.

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