La Botanique, from the Almanach iconologique

Art Historical Context

**La Botanique, from theAlmanach iconologique Created around 1765–81 by the acclaimed French engraver Charles Nicolas Cochin II in collaboration with Jean-Baptiste-B Simonet, *La Botanique* is delicate etching and engraving from theAlmanach iconologique*, a series of emblematic prints personifying the arts and sciences. This small gem (4 5/16 x 6 1/2 in.) depicts a graceful woman embodying Botany, surrounded by lush plants and engaged in writing—evoking the Enlightenment-era fascination with natural history and scientific discovery. Cochin II, a master of Rococo elegance, infused the image ...