Le Basilic - Regnault 1774-80

📜 Description
Original botanical etching created by Nicolas François Regnault between 1774 and 1780 and published in Paris by Didot le Jeune for the scientific work “La Botanique(...)”. The plate illustrates the basil plant, identified in the inscription as “Ocymum Basilicum,” presented through a clear classificatory composition that combines the full plant with analytical botanical details including flowers, seeds, and root structure. The central specimen is rendered with scientific precision against a neutral background, allowing close observation of the morphology of the leaves, flowering stems, and root system. The multilingual caption beneath the image — including French, Latin, Italian, English, and German denominations — reflects the encyclopedic and didactic purpose of the publication, intended for the diffusion of botanical knowledge across European scientific culture of the late eighteenth century. This antique print retains documentary and collectible value for the quality of its engraving and for its connection to Enlightenment-era botanical illustration.

📚 Historical-Artistic Note
Nicolas François Regnault was a French botanist and illustrator active during the eighteenth century, associated with scientific and educational botanical publications. The engravings for “La Botanique(...)” were executed by Geneviève De Nangis-Regnault, whose work translated botanical observation into refined analytical plates intended for study and classification. Published in Paris by Didot le Jeune, one of the leading French printing houses of the period, the series reflects the intersection of scientific inquiry, engraving technique, and Enlightenment editorial culture.

🧾 Technical Sheet
Type: original botanical etching
Author / Manufacture: Nicolas François Regnault
Designer / Engraver: Geneviève De Nangis-Regnault
Publisher / Printer: Didot le Jeune, Paris
Place: Paris
Period: 1774–1780
Material: paper
Technique: etching
Subject / Title: “Le Basilic – Ocymum Basilicum – Basilico – Basil – Citronen Basilien”
Edition / Print Run: from “La Botanique(...)”
Dimensions: sheet 35.5 x 49.5 cm; plate 26 x 38.5 cm
Marks / Signatures / Inscriptions: multilingual botanical caption in French, Latin, Italian, English, and German beneath the image

🔍 Condition Report
Excellent overall condition with well-preserved impression and clean margins. Minor traces of age consistent with the period. Blank verso.