Selectarum stirpium Americanarum historia, in qua ad Linnaeanum systema determinatae (etc.)

Hand-coloured illustration of a chrysophyllum in the first major illustrated book by the botanist Nikolaus Jacquin from Leiden. This book contains roughly 200 hand-coloured plant illustrations painted by the author himself and engraved in copper under his supervision. The book was produced as part of the first overseas scientific expedition initiated by Emperor Franz I. On the latter’s instructions, Nikolaus Jacquin sailed to the Caribbean, the Antilles, Venezuela and Columbia in 1755. From this voyage he brought back to Vienna many living animals and plants for the Menagerie and the Botanical Gardens, as well as a total of 67 crates of objects.
As a handwritten notice in the book shows, Jacquin dedicated and made a gift of the work to Emperor Franz I, Maria Theresia’s husband.