Male Fern (Dryopteris filix-mas) – Original Hand-Colored Engraving by Elisabeth Blackwell

This refined botanical engraving depicts the Male Fern (Dryopteris filix-mas), presenting a complete frond with finely divided leaflets, accompanied by detailed views of the underside of the leaf and the rootstock for accurate botanical identification.

The frond is rendered with strong vertical symmetry, its evenly spaced pinnae creating a structured, rhythmic form. Elisabeth Blackwell enhances clarity by isolating diagnostic elements: the sori on the reverse of the leaf and the robust rhizome with emerging curled fronds, allowing the plant’s full life structure to be read with precision.

Produced in the early eighteenth century, this plate forms part of A Curious Herbal, a work notable for its systematic inclusion of ferns and cryptogams—organisms of significant medicinal importance despite their reproductive complexity and limited flowering characteristics.

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Visual and Aesthetic Analysis

The composition is dominated by a tall, triangular frond whose tapering form guides the eye upward. The repetitive geometry of the leaflets establishes visual order, while the supplementary details introduce variation and instructional depth.

Restrained hand-colouring emphasizes texture and structure rather than decorative effect. Subtle green tonalities articulate the leaf surface, while the darker browns of the rhizome anchor the composition and convey physical weight and permanence.

About the Subject

The male fern—historically known as Filix mas—was one of the most important medicinal ferns in early European medicine. Its rootstock was widely used as a vermifuge, particularly in treatments against intestinal parasites, and was a standard component of pharmacopoeias well into the eighteenth century. Because ferns lack flowers and reproduce through spores, accurate identification relied heavily on leaf structure, sori placement, and root form. Blackwell’s detailed presentation reflects this necessity, documenting the plant in a manner suited to practical medical use rather than ornamental display.

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 surface remains fresh and stable, with light, even age-related toning consistent with period paper. The impression is crisp and well defined, with clear hand-colouring and intact engraved inscriptions, including the artist’s credit “Eliz. Blackwell delin. sculp. et pinx.”

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 medical significance of ferns in A Curious Herbal, see our editorial feature:

Elisabeth Blackwell – A Curious Herbal