Pinetum Britannicum Series: Cedrus libani

This spectacular portrait of Cedrus libani, commonly known as the cedar of Lebanon, is from The Pinetum Britannicum (1884), a massive 3-volume work by Edward Ravenscroft (1816-1890), which describes hardy coniferous trees from around the world that were cultivated in British gardens in the 19th century, when exotic conifers were all the rage. It is filled with William Richardson’s exquisite hand-colored lithographs of individual trees growing in their native habitat or in important British gardens. The Pinetum Britannicum is considered one of the greatest works on conifers ever published, and both Napoleon III and Queen Victoria were among its subscribers.

Forests of cedar no longer clothe the hills of Lebanon as they did in biblical times, but there are still some native stands of this beautiful tree in Southwest Turkey. Mature specimens have a distinctive profile of arched branches holding broad, flat sprays of clustered needles.

This pigment print on Arches Infinity Textured 230 g/m stock faithfully reproduces the colors of the original. The print is in a limited edition of 300 and comes with a certificate of authenticity. Unframed.

From the Rare Book Collections of the LuEsther T. Mertz Library at The New York Botanical Garden.

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