Le Nefflier - Regnault 1774-80

📜 Description
Botanical plate “Le Nefflier” by Nicolas François Regnault, published in Paris by Didot le Jeune between 1774 and 1780. The etching depicts Mespilus germanica, commonly known as the medlar tree, through a scientific composition presenting the flowering branch, foliage, fruit, seeds, and enlarged anatomical details arranged on a neutral background. The image was conceived with a classificatory and didactic purpose, combining botanical observation with multilingual nomenclature including the French, Italian, English, German, and Latin denominations engraved below the composition. This antique print comes from “La Botanique(...)”, an Enlightenment-era editorial project intended to disseminate natural history through accurate engraved illustration and systematic visual documentation.

📚 Historical-Artistic Note
Nicolas François Regnault was among the French natural history authors active during the second half of the eighteenth century, a period marked by strong scientific and encyclopedic interest in botanical classification. Geneviève De Nangis-Regnault is credited as draughtswoman and engraver of the plate, contributing to the precise visual rendering of the species. The Parisian publisher Didot le Jeune played a central role in the circulation of scientific and illustrated works during the Enlightenment, producing finely printed botanical engravings intended for scholars, collectors, and cultivated readers.

🧾 Technical Sheet
Type: botanical plate
Author / Maker: Nicolas François Regnault
Draughtswoman / Engraver: Geneviève De Nangis-Regnault
Publisher / Printer: Didot le Jeune, Paris
Place: Paris
Period: 1774-1780
Technique: etching
Subject / Title: “Le Nefflier - Mespilus germanica - Nespolo - Medlar tree - Mispel Baum”
Dimensions: sheet 35 x 49.5 cm; plate 26 x 38 cm
Marks / Signatures / Inscriptions: engraved title and multilingual botanical nomenclature below the image

🔍 Condition Report
Excellent overall condition. Blank verso.