Botanical Journal — Nederlandsch Bloemwerk 1794 Dutch Narcissus & Crocus Engravings

Published in Amsterdam in 1794 by J.B. Elwe, Nederlandsch Bloemwerk (Dutch Flower Arrangements) was a 54-plate masterwork created by a “company of scholars” that showcased cultivated flowers at the height of Dutch botanical expertise — hand-coloured copperplate engravings of extraordinary refinement, combining scientific precision with the aesthetic sensibility of the Dutch Golden Age. The front cover features Plate XXVII based on Nicolas Robert (1614–1685), the renowned French flower painter to Louis XIV, documenting three Narcissus varieties — Narcissus maximus pallidus, Pseudonarcissus hispanicus, and Narcissus d’Argiers — with a Comma butterfly resting among the stems, connecting botanical study with entomological observation; the back cover presents a plate by H.L. Myling after P.T. van Brussel with Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), Autumn Crocus (Colchicum), and Saffron Crocus (Crocus sativus) accompanied by caterpillar and bee studies — simultaneously a botanical reference, an entomological study, and a work of art.

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Product Details

• Format: Hardcover journal
• Pages: 150 lined pages (75 sheets) with perforations for easy removal
• Binding: Casewrap sewn binding — flexible and lay-flat
• Dimensions: 5.75 × 8 inches
• Weight: 250 g
• Cover: Matte laminated full-wrap print

Perfect For

• Botanical illustrators and garden designers celebrating Dutch Golden Age horticultural traditions
• Narcissus and crocus enthusiasts documenting bulb collections and spring bloom cycles
• Natural history collectors honoring 1794 Amsterdam botanical publishing and hand-colouring techniques
• Gift for anyone captivated by the elegance, precision, and beauty of Dutch Golden Age botanical art
• Students and researchers of the history of Dutch botanical publishing and 18th-century horticultural science
• Writers and creatives inspired by the extraordinary refinement of the Nederlandsch Bloemwerk tradition