1890 W. H. Prestele's Superb USDA Lithographs of Persimmons: Plate VIII Tsuru

Description: 1889 W. H. Prestele's Superb Color Lithographs of Hyakume Persimmon or Dyospiros Plate IX Hyakume This exquisite lithograph by Prestele is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Pomological Yearbook, which published lithographed versions of the watercolors they commissioned. These watercolors are held in the much lauded & exhibited U.S. Department of Agriculture Pomological Watercolor Collection. The Artist: Wilhelm Prestele was a botanical artist known for his exquisite lithographs & watercolors commissioned by the US Department of Agriculture. William Henry Prestele (1838-1895) was the first botanical artist hired by the USDA's Division of Pomology, in 1887. The Prestele family produced botanical illustrations for USDA and the Smithsonian Institution, as well as for the nursery and seed trade. Their watercolors and lithographs are highest-quality scientific illustrations, as well as fine art (USDA.gov) An 1869 edition of Gardener's Monthly wrote: "We have now before us a fruit piece...prepared by W. H. Prestele. We are in the habit of admiring European art in this line, and have often wished Americans could successfully compete with it. We now have it here. We never saw anything of the kind better executed from any part of the world" "The watercolors and drawings of fruit by these artists are among the most beautiful of early American art, no less amazing than the landscape paintings of the same era by the likes of Thomas Cole and his student Frederic Church. Though these artists had widely divergent subjects—towering mountains and flowing water on the one hand, versus seedpods, blossoms, and fruit on the other — they shared a desire for scientific accuracy and transcendent awe for their subjects. Americans’ appreciation for wilderness seemed to have paralleled their enjoyment of the apple" (Linda Hoffman, Apples, Art, and Spirit) The Publication: The USDA produced (and still produces) many publications. I actually found which publication this print came from on the Biodiversity Heritage Library, which shows the entire thing online, including this amazing print! So this one came from "Annual reports of the Department of Agriculture for 1892". The Lithographer: Prestele was a renowned lithographer, apparently he lithographed his own stones (as in drew the image in wax resist on the stone) himself. So you’re looking at prestele's own handwork. Lith. George S. Harris & Sons. Philadelphia The Technique: These are Stone Chromo-Lithographs, where the image for each color was drawn by hand on heavy slabs of limestone in a water-repellant wax or 'grease'. During printing, water is sponged over the drawn image, which is absorbed into the stone. Dimensions: Approximately 9 by 5 3/4 inches

Price: 15 USD

Location: Seabrook, New Hampshire

End Time: 2025-02-14T21:27:22.000Z

Shipping Cost: 4.5 USD