Engravings were used to illustrate books from the earliest days of printing. By the end of the 15th century, woodcuts of plants were enriching the texts of scholars. The 16th century brought prints that were faithful to reality. The quality of the plates reached new heights at the beginning of the 19th century. Of course, the more artistic "belles éditions" have never disappeared since the florileges of the 16th century.

A "books on tables" display will allow visitors to admire these masterpieces of botanical illustration spanning more than 400 years, a selection of which are reproduced in the panel exhibition "La gravure botanique sort au Jardin".

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