Lumia tonda ordinaria

This is an antique hand-colored engraving titled “Lumia tonda ordinaria” from Johann Christoph Volckamer’s comprehensive botanical work, Nürnbergische Hesperides. The work, published between 1708 and 1714, is a celebrated and spectacular treatise on citrus fruits. The prints illustrate different citrus varieties floating above detailed landscapes or architectural scenes, in this case, the “Palazzo del. N. H. Grimani alla Bataglia”. Volckamer, a Nuremberg merchant, was keen on documenting the cultivation and propagation of these fashionable fruits in Central Europe. The title ribbon encircling the fruit names the specific variety, which translates to “ordinary round lumia”.