This beautiful hand-colored engraving is of the Fico Brogiotto nero (Black Brogiotto Fig), derived from the renowned pomology publication Pomona Italiana by Giorgio Gallesio published between 1817 and 1839. This publication is considered to be one of the greatest botanical books produced in the nineteenth century in terms of both scientific accuracy and beauty of botanical illustrations.This plate displays a beautifully detailed branch of Ficus Carica with two mature, dark purple-black figs, as well as their distinctive broad green leaves, which have deeply lobed forms. The intricate texture of the fruit skin, leaf vein pattern, and realistic depiction of the wood of the stem show how far botany illustration could go during the Italian Enlightenment period.
