Description
Description of Pierre Vallet's Le Jardin du Roy Tres Crestien Loys XIII Roy de France
These magnificent botanical etchings by Pierre Vallet come from his work, Le Jardin du Roy Tres Crestien Loys XIII Roy de France et de Navare Dedie a la Royne . Translated to English, this title reads, The Garden of the Very Christian King Louis XIII, King of France and Navarre, Dedicated to the Kingdom, published in 1623 in Paris. This is a slightly enlarged, second edition of the work which was first published in 1608, and dedicated to Marie de Medicis, wife of Henry IV and mother of King Louis XIII. Called the "First Important Floregium" (Blunt & Stern), Le Jardin was a beautiful and influential work. "The author, Pierre Vallet, styles himself 'brodeur ordinaire' [embroider in ordinary] to the king, and was also employed in the royal gardens. Born in Orleans... he came in due course to the capital [Paris] where he executed many engravings... Here he received court appointment, and made the acquaintances of Gerard's friend 'that excellent herbartist, that painful and most curious searcher of plants and simples,' Jean Robin, who directed the Royal Gardens of the Louvre which Henri IV had laid out about the year 1590. Marie de Medicis, consort of Henri IV, had a passion for flowers... She found pleasure in the rarities which were cultivated by Robin in his little garden at the western end of the Ile de la Cite. She set a fashion... for embroidery with floral designs; and Vallet's florilegium, which was dedicated to her, was primarily intended as a pattern-book" (Blunt & Stern. The Art of Botanical Illustration. 1994, p. 101). "Vallet himself prepared both the original drawings and the plates, using a technique that combined etching with engraved highlights, and a stipple-like treatment of the metal plate to enhance the effect of shadowing. The illustrations combine great artistry with impressive scientific accuracy. Le Jardin du Roy was immediately recognized as a masterpiece, and was soon copied by other authors. It contained many departures from the conventional typology of the florilegium, for Vallet not only modified the way in which the specimens were selected and presented on the page, he invented an unusually successful visual conceit for the title-page - that of a classical arch, flanked by statues of famous botanists... which opens onto a garden. A further element introduced by Vallet... is the prominent portrait of the author featured on one of the opening pages" (Oak Spring Flora p. 40). It can certainly be seen at this point the importance and influence of Vallet's work in Le Jardin. They are on chain linked, water marked paper that measures ~ 14" by 9 3/4".