Botanical Iris Hardcover Journal — Weinmann & Valentini 18th Century Iris latifolia English Iris Phytanthoza Iconographia

Carry the botanical precision of the 18th century — when Weinmann's Phytanthoza Iconographia and Valentini's Viridarium Reformatum gave the iris its most exquisite scientific portraits, and the golden age of botanical illustration united art and natural science in a single engraved line.

Johann Wilhelm Weinmann's Phytanthoza Iconographia (1737–1745) was one of the most ambitious botanical publications of the 18th century — eight folio volumes documenting over 1,000 plant species with hand-colored copperplate engravings of extraordinary precision and beauty. Michael Bernhard Valentini's Viridarium Reformatum (1719) represented an earlier tradition of Florilegium-style botanical documentation, combining scientific rigor with the decorative elegance of the German botanical illustration tradition. This distinguished hardcover journal brings together iris illustrations from both publications — Weinmann's Iris latifolia (English Iris) on the front, and Valentini's iris varieties on the back — celebrating two of the 18th century's most distinguished contributions to botanical art.

Front Cover — Iris latifolia (English Iris), TAB CCV, Johann Wilhelm Weinmann, Phytanthoza Iconographia, 1737–1745:
The front cover presents Weinmann's TAB CCV copperplate engraving of Iris latifolia — the English Iris, native to the Pyrenees and widely cultivated across 18th-century European gardens — with the violet-blue petals, yellow falls, and archaic Latin botanical nomenclature that characterize Weinmann's meticulous documentation style. The hand-colored engraving captures the iris's architectural beauty with the scientific accuracy that made Phytanthoza Iconographia an essential reference for 18th-century botanists and gardeners alike. The English Iris's distinctive form — its broad falls, its upright standards, its intricate veining — is rendered with a precision and delicacy that reveals the full mastery of the 18th-century copperplate engraver's art.

Back Cover — Iris angustifolia & Iris latifolia, Michael Bernhard Valentini, Viridarium Reformatum, 1719:
The back cover presents Valentini's hand-colored iris engraving from Viridarium Reformatum (1719), documenting Iris angustifolia and Iris latifolia varieties in the traditional Florilegium style — a composition that places botanical accuracy within a decorative tradition inherited from the great 17th-century florilegia of Besler and de Bry. Valentini's engraving predates Weinmann's by nearly two decades, offering a complementary perspective on the iris from an earlier moment in the golden age of botanical illustration. Together, the two covers document the English Iris across two of the 18th century's most distinguished botanical publications, separated by 18 years and united by a shared commitment to scientific precision and artistic beauty.

Why This Journal Inspires:

• Weinmann's TAB CCV from Phytanthoza Iconographia (1737–1745) and Valentini's iris from Viridarium Reformatum (1719) — two of the 18th century's most distinguished botanical publications in a single journal
• Iris latifolia (English Iris) and Iris angustifolia documented across 18 years of botanical illustration history — from Valentini's Florilegium tradition to Weinmann's encyclopedic precision
• Hand-colored copperplate engraving at its finest — the golden age of botanical illustration when art and natural science were inseparable
• The perfect companion for garden notes, iris cultivation records, botanical observations, or nature journaling inspired by 18th-century natural history

Product Details:

• Format: Hardcover lined journal
• Pages: 150 perforated lined pages for easy removal
• Binding: Casewrap sewn binding
• Dimensions: 5.5 × 8.5 inches
• Weight: Approximately 400g
• Cover: Matte laminated full-wrap print

Perfect For:

• Botanists, iris enthusiasts, and perennial gardeners
• Collectors of 18th-century botanical art and copperplate engraving
• Students and researchers of the history of botanical illustration
• Gift for anyone captivated by the beauty and precision of the golden age of natural history
• Nature journalers and garden planners drawn to the Florilegium tradition
• Admirers of Weinmann, Valentini, and the great botanical publications of the Enlightenment era

Carry the botanical precision of the 18th century — where Weinmann's copperplate needle and Valentini's Florilegium tradition gave the iris the scientific portrait it has always deserved.

EU representative: HONSON VENTURES LIMITED, gpsr@honsonventures.com, 3, Gnaftis House flat 102, Limassol, Mesa Geitonia, 4003, CY
Product information: Generic brand, 2 year warranty in EU and Northern Ireland as per Directive 1999/44/EC
Care instructions: Use a soft, clean and dry cloth to gently brush any dust or dirt off from the center of book outwards.