Ettingshausen, C. and A. Pokorny
Physiotypia Plantarum Austriacarum. Der Naturselbstdruck in seiner Anwendung auf die Gefässpflanzen des Österreichischen Kaiserstaates, mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Nervation in den Flächenorganen der Pflanzen. Plate 23. Aspidium rigidum.
Wien, Kaiserlich-Königlichen Hof- und Staatsdruckerei [1855-1856]. Folio nature-printed plate (58.1 x 40.4 cm; 45.4 x 29.0 cm for printed area). Unbound and uncut with full margins.
Constantin Freiherr von Ettingshausen (1826-1897), professor of botany at the University of Graz was a major researcher of European Tertiary floras. Superb example of nature-printing with very decorative botanical illustrations. Only nature printing can give this true 3D effect to a plate, and these are among the best ever made. This plate shows the fern, Aspidium rigidum, also known as Dryopteris villarii, rigid worm fern, or Starre Wurmfarn in German. Plate in very good condition, with only a few small and marginal imperfections never disturbing the printed area. The complete work consisted of five folio atlases with 500 plates. According to Staffleu and Cowan: "the most important work produced by nature printing ever published". Fischer, 69; Nissen BBI, 613; Pritzel 2756; Staffleu and Cowan, 1723.
