This delicate engraving of the marijuana plant was created using the mezzotint process, which allowed the maker to render the subtle variations in the leaves and petals. Johann Weinmann's botanicals are some of the most sought after examples of the 18th century. The color was partially added during the mezzotint process and finished by hand with watercolor. Johann Wilhelm Weinmann (1683-1741) was an apothecary from the German city of Regensburg. He compiled an impressive collection of botanical illustrations, for which he commissioned several artists, including Georg Dionysius Ehret, N. Asamin, Johann Ambrosius Beurer, Christiaan Jakob Trew and Johannes Burman. They formed the basis of his life's work, the Phytanthoza Iconographia. The work appeared in half-yearly installments published by Bartholomew Seuter, Johann Ridinger and Johann Haid between 1735 and 1745. The result is a rarely found combination of the traditional herbal book and the flower book that became popular in the baroque period.

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Condition: B

Very light damp stains at right.