botanical Archives

Geftambte rose (1692)

Magdelena Rosina Funck (German, unknown)

A single rose, meticulously etched, its petals unfurling with delicate precision. Thorns and leaves curl in sharp contrast to the soft bloom, each line capturing the tension between fragility and resilience. The engraving breathes life into paper, turning botany into quiet drama.
Kalkved. (Viburnum) (1816 – 1875)

P. C. Skovgaard (Danish, unknown)

Delicate viburnum branches stretch across the page, their leaves and berries rendered with precise, inky lines. Each vein and stem is etched with scientific clarity, yet the composition breathes with quiet vitality—a meticulous study that transcends mere documentation.
Psalliota silvatica Schäff., Ps. perrara Schulz. (1915-1945)

Hans Walty (Swiss, unknown)

Delicate gills fan beneath the cap’s smooth curve, each line precise as a map. The mushroom stands solitary, its stem rooted in shadow, a quiet study of texture and form. Earth clings to the base, hinting at the damp forest floor it was plucked from.
Lycoperdon enchinatum (1915-1945)

Hans Walty (Swiss, unknown)

Spiny, globular, and strangely delicate—this fungus emerges from the page with precise, almost scientific detail. The engraving’s fine lines trace each bristling protrusion, transforming a humble puffball into something alien yet familiar.
Boletus bulbosus (1915-1945)

Hans Walty (Swiss, unknown)

A bulbous mushroom rises from the page, its gills precise as folded paper. The stem curves slightly, weighted by the cap’s dark underside. Every line is deliberate, as if the fungus pressed itself into the paper to be studied.
Abbildungen zu Oken’s Allgemeiner Naturgeschichte für alle Stände Pl.029 (1841)

Lorenz Oken (German, unknown)

Delicate veins branch across translucent leaves, each curve precise as a surgeon’s incision. The engraving freezes their unfurling—not just plants, but architectures of light and shadow. Here, botany becomes blueprint.
Collybia maculata, Schw (1915-1945)

Hans Walty (Swiss, unknown)

Delicate gills fan out beneath the spotted cap, each line etched with precision. The fungus stands solitary, its stem slightly curved as if caught mid-growth. Shadows pool around its base, lending weight to the fragile form. A quiet study of texture and decay, rendered in stark black and white.
Phlegmacium praestans Cord. (1915-1945)

Hans Walty (Swiss, unknown)

Delicate gills fan out beneath a smooth, tawny cap—this fungus stands poised between decay and elegance. Its precise lines reveal nature’s quiet craftsmanship, each detail a testament to life’s fleeting beauty. Here, science and art blur into something quietly mesmerizing.
The Broom Cactus (1815-1819)

Sydenham Edwards (English, 1768–1819)

Spiky arms stretch upward, each rib lined with sharp yellow spines. Delicate pink flowers bloom unexpectedly from the harsh, angular form—a desert survivor dressed in unlikely finery. The watercolor’s precise strokes trace every thorn and petal, revealing beauty in the bristling.