Henri Louis Duhamel du Monceau (1700-1782)

Robinia Viscosa

      Stipple engravings, printed in color and finished by Hand, Large paper edition, Paris, 1807-35 - These undeniably lovely engravings of fruit and flowers by Henri Louis Duhamel du Monceau are superb examples of the lauded eighteenth-century polymath’s work. Du Monceau lived a duel life as a French naval engineer and botanist, and published several books on both subjects. He was an instrumental member in the foundation of the "Académie de marine de Brest" in 1752. While he is remembered for his long and checkered career as an engineer, it is his contribution to botany and horticulture that has left a lasting impression in the world of botanical illustration. Du Monceau began his career as a botanist when he was requested by the Academy of Sciences to investigate a disease which was destroying the saffron plant in Gâtinais. As a result of his studies he discovered the cause in a parasitic fungus which attached itself to the roots. This achievement gained him admission to the French Academy of Sciences in 1728. For the next half century he would occupy himself with experiments in plant physiology. Similar to other botanical illustrators such as Georg Dionisis Ehret and Redoute, Du Monceau’s oeuvre was most likely created out of a desire to showcase new plant species with scientific accuracy. Their beauty is an unintended, though pleasant, consequence.