Camellia Comtesse de Castelbanco - A. Verschaffelt 1848-60

📜 Description
Botanical chromolithograph titled “Camellia Comtesse de Castelbanco”, produced in Ghent between 1848 and 1860 by A. Verschaffelt within the publication “Nouvelle Iconographie des Camellias”, depicting a single camellia specimen. The composition is structured around a large, fully open flower placed centrally, characterized by layered pink petals with white variegated streaks, accompanied by several broad, glossy leaves, a closed bud, and a slender branch. The arrangement follows a scientific and classificatory approach, isolating the plant against a neutral background to emphasize morphological clarity. The inscription below identifies the cultivar, while the credits “A. Verschaffelt del. et imp.” and “G. Severeyns lith. et imp.” document the roles of designer-publisher and lithographer. This type of botanical plate responds to the 19th-century need to catalogue ornamental varieties, where precision in the rendering of petal structure, color variation, and foliage supports both horticultural study and visual documentation. The chromolithographic technique allows controlled layering of colors and fine tonal transitions, enhancing the readability and identification of the plant.

📚 Historical-artistic note
Ambroise Verschaffelt was a leading Belgian horticulturist and publisher active in Ghent, known for his role in the development of botanical illustration and the dissemination of plant knowledge in 19th-century Europe. His “Nouvelle Iconographie des Camellias” represents a major editorial project dedicated to documenting camellia varieties through systematic visual plates. The collaboration with lithographer G. Severeyns ensured an accurate translation of botanical drawings into high-quality printed images intended for scientific reference as well as for collectors.

🧾 Technical sheet
Type: botanical plate / chromolithograph
Author / Maker: A. Verschaffelt
Designer / Engraver: A. Verschaffelt; G. Severeyns
Publisher / Printer: A. Verschaffelt, Ghent
Place: Ghent
Period: 1848–1860
Material: paper
Technique: chromolithography
Subject / Title: “Camellia Comtesse de Castelbanco”
Edition: from “Nouvelle Iconographie des Camellias”
Dimensions: sheet 18 × 26 cm
Marks / Signatures / Inscriptions: title “Camellia Comtesse de Castelbanco”; inscriptions “A. Verschaffelt del. et imp.” and “G. Severeyns lith. et imp.”

🔍 Condition Report
Overall in excellent condition. The paper is well preserved, with a clear and well-defined chromolithographic impression and stable colors, showing only minor age-related wear consistent with the period.