BOTANICAL ART & ARTISTS
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About Leonhart Fuchs

This page looks at:
  • a brief biography of the German herbalist Leonhart Fuchs
  • his famous Herbal book called "De  commentary insignias" - usually shortened to 'Historia Stirpum' which translated means Notable commentaries on the history of plants
  • the roles of the artists who helped create the images in the book

The banner image above includes Image(s) courtesy History of Science Collections, University of Oklahoma Libraries; copyright the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma. This includes a digitised collection of Fuch's books and this wonderful resource at the History of Science Libraries is highly recommended as a way of seeing his work.

German herbalist Leonhart Fuchs
​

Leonhart Fuchs (15 January 1501 - 10 May 1566) is best known for the development and publication of one of the very important early Herbals in 1543.

Biography

He was born in Bavaria in Germany in 1501 at the height of the German Renaissance.
  • 1513; Enrolled at the the University of Erfurt
  • 1514: He was a serious student and matriculated at at the age of fourteen. He developed his knowledge of classic and Latin and then took a medical degree.  He was able to read the ancient medical texts with ease because of his knowledge of Greek.
​He subsequently became both a physician and a botanist and is now regarded as one of the three German fathers of botany
  • 1524: He started to practice medicine in Munich
  • 1526: He became a Professor of Medicine at Ingolstadt
  • 1528: became the physician of Margrave George of Brandenburg.
  • 1529: became well known for successful treatment of plague victims in Prague
  • 1535 : He was appointed to the Chair of Medicine at Tübingen. He continued in this position for the remainder of his life - and created on of the first botanical gardens in the world.

His primary purpose was the rediscovery of the ancient  sources of information about medicine.

Publications

With the publication of The New Herbal he also became a noted and important author .

Prior to Fuch's Great Herbal, the illustrations used in the early Herbals were quite crude and of limited use from the perspective of finding and selecting the correct plant for medicinal use.
  • 1542: De Historia Stirpium was published
  • 1543: a German translation was published
  • smaller picture only versions were published.
  • versions for use by those involved in botany were also published

​Fuchs's name is commemorated in the naming of the Fuchsia.

In total, he wrote more than 50 books and polemics
'there is nothing in this life pleasanter and more delightful than to wander over woods, mountains, plains, garlanded and adorned with flowerlets and plants of various sorts, and most elegant to boot, and to gaze intently on them. But it increases that pleasure and delight not a little, if there be added an acquaintance with the virtues and powers of these same plants'
Portrait of Leonhart Fuchs (1501-1566)
​Portrait of Leonart Fuchs By Heinrich Fllmaurer (c. 1530/40) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
BIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES
  • Leonhart Fuchs - Wikipedia - Leonhart Fuchs (1501 - 10 May 1566), sometimes spelled Leonhard Fuchs was a German physician and botanist. He is best known as the author of a large book about plants and their uses as medicines, i.e. a Herbal Book.
  • The Three Founders of Botany - Leonhart Fuchs - 
  • Leonhard Fuchs | Encyclopædia Britannica - German botanist and physician
  • Leonhard Fuchs | Botany at the Edward Wentworth Library - 

The Great Herbal - De historia stirpium commentarii insignes 
(Notable commentaries on the history of plants)

Only some 150 copies of the herbal are known to survive in rare book collections, and in the antiquarian book market it commands high prices (a copy was sold at Christie's for $17,000 in 1997).

Publication date
: 1542.

Printed:  at the print shop of
Michael Isengrin in Basel.
​

Purpose: ​
  • The book is intended as a guide to plant collection. 
  • ​"De historia stirpium commentarii insignes" illustrates those plants identified by Dioscorides, Hippocrates and Galen, the classical Greek and Roman writers in their writings on medicine and materia medica.
  • ​In total 497 plants - comprising a mix of wild and domestic species - were illustrated using over 500 woodcuts.
Picture
Mandragora (Mandrake) plant from 'De historia stirpivm commentarii insignes
Leonhart Fuchs: The New Herbal of 1543
by Leonhart Fuchs (Author)
with Klaus Dobat and Werner Dressendorfer

A new edition of a facsimile of the Great Herbal by Taschen - based on Fuch's original and own copy of the Herbal 

​It's quite remarkable that:
  • first - Fuch's original and own copy of the Herbal should survive
  • second - it was in immaculate condition
  • third - Taschen should decide to reprint it in its entirety!
However that's what has happened to create this very fat new book. You can view the book online - however in my experience you can't beat actually turning the pages and looking at a high quality facsimile!

I've got the highest regard for Taschen. They always do a wonderful job of reproductions of historical books.
Hardcover: 960 pages
Publisher: Taschen GmbH
NEW edition! 
Publication date: 25.05.16
BUY in UK: Leonhart Fuchs: The New Herbal of 1543 (Va)
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
​What makes it special
  • The importance of this particular herbal is that it set new standards for botanical illustration. In particular it highlighted how paying attention to the quality of the illustration was vital when illustrating plants used for medicine - so that these can be correctly identified.
  • More than 100 species were illustrated for the first time, including 12 New World plants such as maize, kidney bean, chili pepper, cactus, and tobacco.
​
Fuchs made sure that all the plants were alphabetically according to their names in Greek. Botanical Latin hadn't yet been invented!

Did you know? 
  • ​It took Fuchs over 30 years to compile this book. This included developing and stocking a garden with rare specimens and developing a large botanical library.
  • This book - as a Herbal and its various abridgements - was printed a total of some 39 times in Fuch's own lifetime. These included printings in Latin, German, French, Spanish, and Dutch

The botanical artists

De Historia Stirpium uniquely included images of the artists (see image):
  • Albrecht Meyer - who drew the illustrations (top right)
  • Heinrich Fullmaurer - who transferred the illustrations to wood blocks (top left)
  • Veit Rudolf Speckle - which created the woodcuts and prints included in the book. (bottom)
​The images were also hand-colored after printing.
Picture
The botanical artists involved in creating images for the Great Herbal. Image courtesy History of Science Collections, University of Oklahoma Libraries; copyright the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma.
HISTORIA STIRPUM - REFERENCES:
  • De historia stirpium commentarii insignes, maximis impensis et vigiliis ... by Leonhart Fuchs , William Withering , Albrecht Meyer , Heinrich Füllmaurer , Veit Rudolph Speckle | Google Archive (digital book - available as a 69.6MB pdf file). Includes  509 full page woodcuts (included in pagination); portraits of author (title page verso) and illustrators (penultimate leaf recto)
  • "De Historia Stirpium by Leonhart Fuchs" | University of Missouri.
  • Leonhart Fuchs: De historia stirpium | Glasgow University
  • Fuch's Great Herbal - introductory article
  • De Historia Stirpium Basel: 1542 Sp Coll Hunterian L.1.13 | Glasgow University Library | Special Collections 
  • De Historia Stirpium Commentarii Insignes (Notable Commentaries on the History of Plants) | Wikipedia
  • De Historia Stirpium Commentarii Insignes () - 1542 - Fuchs, Leonhard (author) - Basil - The Warnock Library | rare Book Room
  • _The great herbal of Leonhart Fuchs : De historia stirpium commentarii insignes, 1542 | Authors: Frederick G. Meyer, Emily Emmart Trueblood, John L. Heller. Published: Stanford University Press ; Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1999
PUBLICATIONS - REFERENCES: 
  • Online Galleries/16thCentury/Fuchs/ | University of Oklahoma Libraries - Facsimile reproductions of books written by Fuchs complete with coloured woodcut illustrations
Picture
Lilium bulbiferum (1543) by Leonhart Fuchs

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      • About Leonhart Fuchs
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    • Online Exhibitions >
      • ARCHIVE: Online Botanical Art Exhibitions
    • RHS Botanical Art & Photography Shows >
      • ARCHIVE RHS Botanical Art Shows 2007-2021
      • Exhibit Titles at RHS Botanical Art Shows
      • RHS Portfolio Photography (Botanical / Horticultural)
    • Hunt International Exhibition of Botanical Art & Illustration
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        • ARCHIVE: Major Gallery Exhibitions
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        • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in the UK
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    • ARCHIVE: World Wide Exhibition of Botanical Art 2018
  • Education
    • Best Botanical Art Instruction Books >
      • Best Instruction Books by Botanical Art Societies >
        • The Art of Botanical Painting - review
        • The Botanical Palette - review
        • Botanical Sketchbook - review
      • Best Instruction Books about Botanical Illustration >
        • Botanical Illustration - Books by Bobbi Angell
        • Botanical Illustration (Oxley) - review
      • Best Instruction Books by top Artists / Teachers >
        • Books By Billy Showell
        • Books - the Eden Project
      • Best Botanical Drawing Instruction Books (Pencils) >
        • Botanical Painting with Coloured Pencils - review
      • e-Booklets / digital guides
      • NEW Books about Botanical Art & Illustration (2020)
      • NEW Books about Botanical Art & Illustration (2019)
      • NEW Books about Botanical Art & Illustration (2018)
    • Tips and Techniques >
      • Tips from RHS Gold Medal Winners
      • Preparation and set-up
      • Botanical Sketching and Sketchbooks
      • Design and composition
      • Colour
      • Pen and Ink
      • How to draw and paint trees and leaves
    • Botanical Art Video Tips >
      • Video Tips: Watercolour Painting
      • Video Tips Coloured Pencils
      • Video Tips: Pencil drawing
      • Video Tips: Painting Flowers
      • Video Tips: Painting Leaves & Trees
    • Online Botanical Art Instruction >
      • CHECKLIST: FAQS about Online Learning
      • ONLINE TIMELINE
    • International Directory: Botanical Art Teachers
    • International Directory of Botanical Art Courses >
      • UK: Botanical Art Courses
      • North America: Botanical Art Courses
      • Europe: Botanical Art Courses & Holidays
      • Australasia: Botanical Art Courses
    • Diplomas and Certificates >
      • SBA Diploma Assignments
    • Distance Learning Courses
    • Talks, Lectures & Tours
    • Botanical Education on Facebook
    • Fellowships, Scholarships, Bursaries and Residencies
  • Materials
    • Paper
    • Vellum
  • Groups
    • National & Regional Botanical Art Societies
    • Florilegium Societies & Other Groups
    • Botanical Art Groups on Facebook
  • Botany
    • Why botany matters to artists
    • Botany Books for artists >
      • Botany for the Artist (Simblet)
      • The Art of Plant Evolution
      • The Concise British Flora in Colour (1965)
    • Scientific botanical illustration
    • Plant Forms and Anatomy
    • Plant Evolution and Taxonomy
    • Plant Names and Botanical Latin
    • Botanical Dictionaries
    • How to Identify Plants
    • Recording a Plant / Sketchbooks >
      • Plant Pressing for your own Herbarium
    • Botanic Gardens & Herbaria >
      • Global and National Networks
      • Herbaria, Seed Banks and Fungaria
      • Botanic Gardens in the UK >
        • Old Botanic & Physic Gardens in London
      • Botanic Gardens in Ireland
      • Botanic Gardens in Europe
      • Botanic Gardens in the USA
      • Botanic Gardens in Canada
      • Botanic Gardens in Asia
      • Botanic Gardens in Australia
    • Blogs about Plants and Flowers
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