The Cornel Tree (Cornus mas) – Original Hand-Colored Engraving by Elisabeth Blackwell

This refined botanical engraving depicts The Cornel Tree, presenting a fruiting branch with measured balance and clear botanical definition, rendered with an emphasis on legibility and compositional restraint.

The plant is organized around a calm vertical structure, its broad, softly veined leaves framing clusters of ripening red fruits. Elisabeth Blackwell’s approach privileges proportion and clarity, allowing the botanical characteristics to be read with ease while maintaining a composed visual harmony.

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 develops along a central stem, branching gently to support both foliage and fruit. The rounded berries introduce points of visual emphasis, contrasting with the elongated leaves and creating a steady, rhythmic progression through the image.

Subtle tonal transitions model the leaves with depth, while the restrained hand-colouring of the fruit provides a controlled chromatic accent. The overall palette remains balanced, reinforcing the engraving’s analytical clarity and calm visual presence.

About the Subject

The cornel tree (Cornus mas) was well known in early European medicine and domestic practice, valued for its firm, acidic fruits and recorded for both culinary and medicinal uses. Cornelian cherries were commonly associated with preserves, syrups, and astringent preparations, making accurate identification of the fruiting stage particularly important. In herbal literature, the contrast between foliage and vividly colored berries served as a practical visual cue, reinforcing the plant’s inclusion in medical reference works such as A Curious Herbal, where usefulness depended on recognizing distinctive seasonal characteristics.

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