The Almond Tree (Amygdalus) – Original Hand-Colored Engraving by Elisabeth Blackwell

This refined botanical engraving depicts The Almond Tree, presenting both flowering and fruiting stages with clear structural balance and botanical precision, allowing the plant’s development to be read through successive phases.

The composition is divided into distinct vertical elements, enabling blossoms, developing fruit, and foliage to be observed independently while remaining visually connected. Elisabeth Blackwell’s approach emphasizes clarity and legibility, offering a faithful record of morphology grounded in direct observation rather than decorative effect.

Created in the early eighteenth century, this plate belongs to A Curious Herbal, a foundational medical and botanical work distinguished by the unity of its production, in which drawing, copper engraving, and hand-colouring were executed by the same hand.

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Visual and Aesthetic Analysis

The composition juxtaposes flowering branches with fruit-bearing stems, creating a measured visual dialogue between delicacy and solidity. The blossoms introduce lightness and rhythmic variation, while the heavier forms of the developing almonds anchor the image and guide the eye through the sheet.

Subtle tonal gradations define leaves and fruit with restrained depth, while the controlled palette preserves botanical clarity. The isolated depiction of the nut and kernel further reinforces the engraving’s analytical intent without disrupting the overall visual harmony.

About the Subject

The almond tree (Amygdalus) held a prominent place in early medicine and domestic practice, valued both for its nourishing kernel and for the oil extracted from its seeds. Its notably early and delicate flowering made it a distinctive subject in European herbals, often associated with seasonal change and agricultural knowledge. Accurate depiction of blossoms, fruit, and kernel was essential for practical identification, particularly for physicians and apothecaries who relied on visual references when distinguishing edible, medicinal, and oil-producing species. Its inclusion in A Curious Herbal reflects the importance of documenting plants whose usefulness depended on recognizing multiple stages of growth.

Condition Report

The engraving is in exceptionally fine antique condition, printed on original handmade laid paper typical of early 18th-century botanical publications. No watermark has been observed. The sheet remains fresh and clean, with a stable surface and no notable defects. The original hand-colouring is well preserved, and the impression is crisp and legible throughout. These qualities correspond to a “like brand new” state of preservation and confirm the authenticity of the print as an original production from A Curious Herbal. The engraved credit “Eliz. Blackwell delin. sculp. et pinx.” is present and fully legible, attesting that the drawing, engraving, and hand-colouring were executed by Elisabeth Blackwell herself.

Details

• Artist: Elisabeth Blackwell
• Work / Publication: A Curious Herbal
• Period: 1737–1739
• Technique: Original copper engraving, drawn, engraved, and hand-colored by Elisabeth Blackwell
• Paper: Original handmade laid paper
• Watermark: None observed
• Sheet size: approx. 37 × 22 cm

For further context on Elisabeth Blackwell and the singular unity of authorship behind A Curious Herbal, see our editorial feature:

Elisabeth Blackwell – A Curious Herbal