Centaurea calcitrapa Linn. by Pierre- Joseph Buc’hoz

Centaurea calcitrapa Linn. by Pierre- Joseph Buc’hoz

C. 1775

Hand Colored Engraving

This hand-colored copperplate engraving depicts the botanical specimen Centaurea calcitrapa Linn., commonly known as the purple star-thistle or Chardon étoilé. The print is executed by the French printmaker Jean-Baptiste Dupin (inscribed as Dupin filius sculp.) after an original illustration for the prominent French physician and botanist Pierre-Joseph Buc'hoz. Dating between 1774 and 1780, this delicate engraving features a dynamic, branching green stalk bearing four distinct, spiny flower heads adorned with needle-like violet petals. 

The print originates from Buc'hoz’s monumental publication, Histoire universelle du règne végétal (Universal History of the Vegetable Kingdom), published in Paris. Pierre-Joseph Buc'hoz (1731–1807) was an incredibly prolific naturalist who compiled massive, multi-volume encyclopedias to categorize plant life from around the world according to the then-groundbreaking Linnaean classification system. Engraved by Jean-Baptiste Dupin—the son of a recognized family of Parisian printmakers—this piece represents the peak period of Enlightenment-era French botanical illustration, where scientific accuracy harmoniously blended with decorative mastery. This plate captures the massive 18th-century cultural movement toward documenting global biodiversity, turning a common wild weed like the star-thistle into a fine art subject that celebrated empirical knowledge and systematic organization.

Dimensions: H 15 ½” x 10” W

Condition: Slight toning, a few tears on the right edge