Trattinnick, Leopold

Leopold Trattinnick (1764-1839)
From: Thesaurus Botanicus
Vienna: 1805-1819
Hand-colored copperplate engravings
20 1/2” x 14 3/4” framed

Vienna became a center for botanical art illustration during the early 19th century. Francis I (1768-1835) of Austria, the last monarch to rule over the Holy Roman Empire, was obsessed with flowers and promoted the study of botanicals as well as the creation of gardens in Vienna. His Imperial Gardens, where he realized his passion for flowers, remain one of Vienna's most beloved treasures.

Leopold Trattinnick, a wealthy Austrian botanist, was the first curator of the Botanical Court Cabinet, founded by Francis I. A member of a prosperous family, Trattinnick had the means to publish several sumptuously produced botanical works without regards to cost. Trattinnick's publications include Auswahl Vorzuglich Schoner (1821) and Neue Arten von Pelargonien Deutchen Ursprunges (1825-43). Thesaurus Botanicus is considered his most beautiful work.

Thesaurus Botanicus consists of 80 illustrated plates by the Austrian artists Strenzel, Frister, Kneisech, J. Schmid, Reinelli, Malknect and Buchberger. The majority of the plates were illustrated by Ignaz Strenzel, a professor at the Vienna Academy, and by Franz Reinelli, a flower specialist at the Royal Vienna porcelain manufacture.