Le Fenouil Commun - Regnault 1774-80

📜 Description
Antique botanical engraving executed in etching by Genevieve De Nangis-Regnault after Nicolas Francois Regnault, published in Paris by Didot le Jeune between 1774 and 1780 for the work “La Botanique(...)”. The composition depicts the common fennel plant in a scientific and classificatory arrangement, with the elongated flowering stem centrally positioned alongside analytical studies of leaves, roots, seeds, and floral structures. The inscription “Le Fenouil Commun – Anethum Foeniculum – Sweet fennel – Süsser fenchel” identifies the specimen through French, Latin, English, and German botanical nomenclature, emphasizing the encyclopedic and didactic purpose of eighteenth-century botanical illustration. This antique print combines scientific precision with balanced decorative composition, retaining documentary and collectible interest for the study of aromatic and medicinal plants rendered through careful naturalistic observation and refined engraving technique.

📚 Historical-Artistic Note
Nicolas Francois Regnault collaborated on botanical and scientific publications intended to disseminate natural history studies during the Enlightenment period. Genevieve De Nangis-Regnault translated botanical models into engraved plates designed for editorial and scientific circulation. The Parisian publisher Didot le Jeune played a significant role in eighteenth-century scientific publishing, producing illustrated editions appreciated for their technical clarity and graphic quality.

🧾 Technical Sheet
Type: antique botanical print
Author / Manufacture: Nicolas Francois Regnault
Designer / Engraver: Genevieve De Nangis-Regnault
Publisher / Printer: Didot le Jeune, Paris
Place: Paris
Period: 1774-1780
Material: paper
Technique: etching
Subject / Title: “Le Fenouil Commun - Anethum Foeniculum - Sweet fennel - Süsser fenchel”
Edition / Print Run: from “La Botanique(...)”
Dimensions: sheet 34 x 49 cm; engraving 26 x 38 cm
Marks / Signatures / Inscriptions: engraved title below with multilingual botanical nomenclature

🔍 Condition Report
Excellent overall condition with well-preserved impression and structurally sound paper. Minor age-related traces consistent with the period without significant defects. Blank verso.