Nurnbergische Hesperides: La Zucchetta Imperiale - Joseph de Montalegre

A detailed copperplate engraving from the Nurnbergische Hesperides, featuring a citrus study paired with a scene of local life in Nuremberg.

This copperplate engraving originates from the Nurnbergische Hesperides, a significant botanical work published in Nuremberg between 1708 and 1714. The project was initiated by Johann Christoph Volkamer, who sought to document the citrus varieties grown in the gardens of Nuremberg and its surrounding regions. Joseph de Montalegre, a Hungarian engraver, provided many of the plates for this publication, combining scientific observation with imaginative, often surreal, compositions.

The print depicts the La Zucchetta Imperiale, a variety of citrus, presented in two forms: a whole fruit attached to a leafy stem and a cross-section revealing the internal structure. The botanical subject occupies the upper portion of the frame, rendered with precise hatching to convey texture and volume. Below this, the artist includes a detailed scene of a local festival or event, identified by the German inscription as a race involving older women in the Gostenhof district of Nuremberg. This juxtaposition of scientific study and local genre scene is a characteristic feature of the Nurnbergische Hesperides, where the fruit often appears to hover above the urban or rural settings of the city.

The work reflects the eighteenth-century interest in both natural history and the documentation of local customs. The engraving technique allows for fine detail, from the pitted surface of the citrus rind to the architectural features of the houses in the background. The composition is structured by a clear division between the botanical specimen and the narrative scene below, creating a visual dialogue between the natural world and human activity. This print offers a glimpse into the scientific and cultural preoccupations of the period, captured through the disciplined medium of the copperplate.