Horticulture Antiquarian & Collectible Young Adult Non-Fiction Natural History Adult Non-Fiction Botanical Art Art & Culture Food & Drink History
Fruits of the Earth is a lavish 1975 hardcover picture book that pairs the meticulous botanical art of Francesco Bianchini with the design savvy of Francesco Corbetta, creating a vintage volume that collectors of food, art and horticultural literature actively hunt for. Every page reproduces 18th-century hand-colored plates of peaches, figs, grapes and citrus in jewel-bright, life-size detail—images so accurate that modern horticulturists still reference them for cultivar identification. Issued long before today’s coffee-table standards, this first edition stands out for its oversized format, heavy matte stock and the subtle deckled edges that give each plate the feel of an original print.
Beyond sheer beauty, the book is a time-capsule of European botany and gastronomy. Short, elegant captions describe where each variety was grown, when it ripened and how it was eaten or preserved, offering young adults and adult readers a window into pre-industrial food culture. The presence of an ex libris stamp and light edge wear only confirms that this copy has been loved and passed down—signs that add character without compromising the vividness of the illustrations. A protected dust jacket and tight binding ensure the book remains display-worthy on a shelf or in a culinary library.
Because later printings were smaller and on lower-grade paper, this 1975 original with its intact jacket is the edition that antiquarian dealers catalogue under “scarce.” Whether you are a chef looking for artistic menu inspiration, a gardener tracking heirloom varieties, or a collector building a shelf of food-centric rarities, Fruits of the Earth delivers both visual pleasure and scholarly value in one beautifully preserved package.
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