Pandanus and Ascarina, Pl. 798 — Encyclopédie Méthodique

A finely hand-coloured engraving of two tropical species, Pandanus and Ascarina, rendered with characteristic Enlightenment precision and elegance.

After Henri Joseph Redouté; engraved by Robert Bénard. Encyclopédie Méthodique, Botanique, Plate 798. Published in Paris, 1791.

The Encyclopédie Méthodique was an ambitious expansion of Diderot and d'Alembert's original Encyclopédie, ultimately growing to over 200 volumes. Its Botanique section commissioned leading natural history artists such as Redouté and master engravers like Bénard to produce illustrations of exceptional scientific accuracy and artistic refinement.

Hand-coloured copperplate engraving. Sheet size approximately 29.7 × 21.6 cm. Very Good.