CITRUS FRUITS
Giovanni Battista Ferrari (1584-1665): The First Book on Citrus Fruit.
Hesperides, Sive, de Malorum Aureorum Cultura et Usu Libri Quatuor. Rome: 1646. The first book entirely devoted to citrus fruit is considered to be one of the most sumptuous baroque botanical books. The etched plates of citrus fruit were drawn and engraved by Cornelis Bloemaert, who served his
apprenticeship under Crispin de Passe andwhose patrons were Cortona and the Barberini. Bloemaert is considered by Hunt to be one of the great Dutch 17th-century botanical artists.This work, which consisted of 101 etched and engraved plates, "was illustrated by all the important Roman
baroque painters of classicist leanings" (Benesch). The frontispiece was engraved by Greuter after Pietro da Cortona, and the allegorical plates from designs by Francesco Albani, Nicolas Poussin, Guido Reni, G.F. Romanelli, Andrea Sacchi and Paolo Ubaldini.