Jacob Meydenbach, Ortus Sanitatis

Hortus Sanitatis (Latin for ‘The Garden of Health’) is the first printed encyclopaedia of natural history, featuring sections devoted to plants, animals, birds, fish and stones. This hand-coloured woodcut illustration prefaces the section entitled De Lapidibus (‘On stones’), and it shows a Potions class. The Potions master is wearing an ermine-lined green cloak, clutching a stick in his left hand, with his assistant holding open a book of recipes. It is questionable how much attention the students are paying! Shown here: ff. Ee ii v–Ee iii r