Sante Catherine - H. Duhamel du Monceau 1768

📜 Description
Botanical engraved plate depicting the fruit variety known as “Sainte Catherine,” taken from the celebrated pomological treatise “Traité des arbres fruitiers” by Henry-Louis Duhamel du Monceau and published in Paris in 1768. The composition presents a complete fruit-bearing branch with leaves, ripe fruits, blossoms, and analytical sections of the stone and flesh, arranged according to a scientific structure intended to document with precision the morphological characteristics of cultivated fruit varieties during the 18th century. The illustration is distinguished by its classificatory clarity and descriptive accuracy, with an orderly disposition of the elements allowing comparative observation of the whole fruit, the internal section, the seeds, and the flowering details. The plate combines botanical, agricultural, and educational purposes, reflecting the Enlightenment interest in the scientific cataloguing of cultivated species and in the improvement of agronomic practices. The inscriptions engraved within the plate, including “Aubriet del.” and “Gravé par B.L. Henriquez,” document the role of the draughtsman and engraver in the creation of the work, while the title “Sainte Catherine” precisely identifies the represented variety within Duhamel du Monceau’s pomological repertory.

📚 Historical-Artistic Note
Henry-Louis Duhamel du Monceau was one of the leading French scientific figures of the 18th century in the fields of botany, agronomy, and forestry. His “Traité des arbres fruitiers” is considered one of the most important European repertories dedicated to the systematic study of fruit tree varieties, combining scientific observation, botanical illustration, and practical cultivation knowledge. The draughtsman Claude Aubriet, renowned for his contributions to natural history illustration, played a key role in the analytical precision of the images, while the engraving executed by B.L. Henriquez reflects the high technical standards of Parisian publishing during the period. Plates of this type were intended for botanists, cultivators, and scholars, while also retaining significant documentary and aesthetic value.

🧾 Technical Sheet
Type: botanical plate / antique print
Author: Henry Duhamel du Monceau
Draughtsman / Engraver: Aubriet / B.L. Henriquez
Publisher / Printer: Saillant & Desaint, Paris
Place: Paris
Period: 1768
Material: paper
Technique: etching
Subject / Title: Sainte Catherine
Edition / Series: from “Traité des arbres fruitiers ; contenant leur figure, leur description, leur culture”
Dimensions: Sheet 25 × 33 cm; engraving 19 × 25 cm
Marks / Signatures / Inscriptions: “Tom. II”, “Pl. XIX”, “Pag. 126”, “Aubriet del.”, “Gravé par B.L. Henriquez”, “Sainte Catherine”

🔍 Condition Report
Excellent overall condition with light traces of age consistent with the period. Well-defined engraved impression with crisp botanical details. Margins preserved and regular. Blank verso.