Wild Cucumber (Ecballium elaterium) – Original Hand-Colored Engraving by Elisabeth Blackwell

This refined botanical engraving depicts the Wild Cucumber (Ecballium elaterium), presenting a vigorous climbing plant with clear emphasis on flowering, fruiting, and seed-bearing structure.

Rendered with scientific restraint and careful observation, its thick central stem supports broad, textured leaves and small developing fruits. Elisabeth Blackwell’s approach privileges legibility, allowing each stage—blossom, fruit, and sectional detail—to be read distinctly while preserving a calm visual balance.

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 rises along a strong vertical axis, with lateral stems creating gentle asymmetry and a sense of natural growth. Large leaves provide visual weight and anchoring planes, while the small fruits punctuate the stem and introduce points of measured emphasis.

Subtle tonal gradations model the leaves and fruit with restrained depth, while the muted palette maintains botanical clarity. The small sectional detail at the base reinforces the engraving’s analytical purpose, balancing ornamental presence with scientific readability.

About the Subject

The wild cucumber (Ecballium elaterium) was recorded in early herbals not as a garden crop but for its strong medicinal reputation and its distinctive fruiting behaviour. In period apothecary practice it was treated with caution, and dependable visual identification mattered. For this reason, engravings often highlighted fruit and internal structure, helping distinguish it from other climbing plants with superficially similar leaves and growth habit. Blackwell’s inclusion of developing fruits and a sectional detail reflects the practical aim of A Curious Herbal: to provide clear, trustworthy references for plants used in household and medical contexts.

Condition Report

The engraving is in exceptionally fine antique condition, printed on original handmade laid paper typical of early 18th-century botanical publications. A period watermark is visible on the sheet, consistent with contemporary papermaking practices. The surface remains fresh and stable, with no notable defects. The original hand-colouring is particularly 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: Period watermark visible
• 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