La Menthe a Epi - Regnault 1774-80

📜 Description
Original botanical engraving by Nicolas François Regnault, produced between 1774 and 1780 for the scientific publication “La Botanique(...)”, issued in Paris by Didot le Jeune. The plate illustrates Mentha viridis through a rigorously structured botanical composition centered on the full flowering stem, accompanied by analytical details of the roots, flowers, seeds, and floral sections arranged around the principal specimen. Executed with scientific precision against a neutral background, the image reflects the classificatory and didactic aims of eighteenth-century botanical illustration, intended to document the morphology and medicinal identification of aromatic plants. The lower inscription “La Menthe à Épi – Mentha Viridis – Mentha – hierva buena ortelana – Muntz” combines the Latin denomination with vernacular names in several European languages, reinforcing the encyclopedic purpose of the work. This antique print retains documentary and collectible interest for the quality of its engraving, the clarity of its botanical observation, and its connection with Enlightenment scientific publishing in Paris.

📚 Historical-Artistic Note
Nicolas François Regnault contributed to the production of botanical plates associated with the French scientific and encyclopedic culture of the late eighteenth century. The illustrations created for “La Botanique(...)” combined naturalistic accuracy with analytical clarity, qualities essential for the dissemination of botanical knowledge during the Enlightenment. Geneviève De Nangis-Regnault worked as designer and engraver for the series, while the Parisian publisher Didot le Jeune played a significant role in the circulation of scientific and illustrated editions distinguished by refined engraving and typographic quality.

🧾 Technical Sheet
Type: original botanical plate
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: “La Menthe à Épi – Mentha Viridis – Mentha – hierva buena ortelana – Muntz”
Edition / Print Run: from “La Botanique(...)”
Dimensions: sheet 34 x 49 cm; engraving 26 x 38 cm
Marks / Signatures / Inscriptions: multilingual botanical inscription in the lower margin identifying the species in Latin, French, Spanish, and Germanic forms

🔍 Condition Report
Sheet in excellent overall condition, with a well-preserved impression and clear engraved details throughout the botanical composition. Minor signs of age consistent with the period. Blank verso.