Le Poiure d'Inde ou de Guinee - Regnault 1774-80

📜 Description
Original botanical engraving titled “Le Poiure d'Inde ou de Guinee - Capsicum Annuum”, created by Nicolas François Regnault and published in Paris between 1774 and 1780 for the work “La Botanique(...)” issued by Didot le Jeune. The plate depicts a chili pepper plant through a scientific and classificatory composition developed against a neutral background, showing the complete stem structure, root system, foliage, blossoms, sectioned fruit, and analytical seed details arranged around the principal specimen according to the visual language of eighteenth-century botanical illustration. The image fulfills a didactic and naturalistic function, intended for the accurate identification of the species Capsicum annuum through the simultaneous observation of the plant’s different morphological stages. The engraved inscriptions beneath the image include the French title “Le Poiure d'Inde ou de Guinee”, the Latin botanical denomination “Capsicum Annuum”, and multilingual references in other European languages, emphasizing the encyclopedic and educational purpose of the publication. This antique print belongs to the French scientific production of the Enlightenment period, in which botanical observation, natural classification, and engraved execution converge in a balance between documentary rigor and decorative quality.

📚 Historical-Artistic Note
Nicolas François Regnault produced an important corpus of botanical plates dedicated to scientific dissemination in eighteenth-century France. The engravings were published by Didot le Jeune in Paris, one of the leading publishers involved in the circulation of illustrated editions and encyclopedic works during the Enlightenment. Geneviève De Nangis-Regnault collaborated on the engraved execution of the plates, translating botanical drawings into images intended both for scientific study and collector consultation. The series “La Botanique(...)” belongs to the broader European tradition of natural history publications characterized by taxonomic precision, descriptive clarity, and educational intent.

🧾 Technical Details
Type: scientific botanical plate
Author / Manufacture: Nicolas François Regnault
Designer / Engraver: Geneviève De Nangis-Regnault
Publisher / Printer: Didot le Jeune, Paris
Place: Paris
Period: 1774-1780
Technique: etching
Subject / Title: “Le Poiure d'Inde ou de Guinee - Capsicum Annuum - Pepere - Peper”
Dimensions: sheet 35.5 x 49.5 cm; engraved area 26 x 38.5 cm
Marks / Signatures / Inscriptions: engraved French title; Latin denomination “Capsicum Annuum”; multilingual botanical nomenclature beneath the image

🔍 Condition Report
Excellent overall condition. Blank verso.