Florilegium Imperiale Botanical Illustrations for Francis I of Austria

This collection of exquisitely rendered flowers presents one of the world's great collections of botanical illustrations. Francis I of Austria, the last monarch to rule over the Holy Roman Empire, was also obsessed with flowers. His Imperial Gardens, where he realized his passion for flowers, remain one of Vienna's most beloved treasures. In 1791, Francis I commissioned Matthias Schumtzer to paint portraits of every flower in the garden - a project that took more than three decades to complete. This collection features one hundred of the most outstanding of Schmutzer's watercolors. The flowers range from the exotic to the common. A text offers biographical information about Francis I, descriptions of the Imperial Gardens in the ruler's time, and photographs of how they appear today.