Title Page and Eight Prints with Flowers

1698

These floral prints by Jan Luyken are from the Nederlandschen Herbarius published by the physician Steven Blankaart in 1698. This Dutch herbal describes indigenous plants and trees with their medicinal properties. Incidentally, not all flowers had a practical medical application. But they were quite suitable ‘to make nosegays and posies’ or ‘simply a pleasure to look at’.