Woodcuts and Wood-Engravings

Ferrante Imperato (1550-1625)
Historia naturale di Ferrante Imperato napolitano...
Venice: Presso Combi, & La Noù, 1672

Ferrante Imperato was a Neapolitan apothecary. When he published Historia Naturale, he illustrated it with his own collection (it may be the first such illustrated collection), which included a tremendous variety of specimens: from plants, shells, and animals to fossils, minerals, and even gems. The frontispiece, seen below, demonstrates the incredible variety of Ferrante's holdings. The second edition, edited by Giovanni Maria Ferro and which is that held by the Lloyd, provides some new material as well as some new illustrations. The topics covered in the book include alchemy, animals, and plants, among a few others.

Ferrante frontispiece, 2nd edition, 1672

Ferrante plate 23

Ferrante plate 24

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