European, Italy, 19th century. The magic of mushrooms has captivated many of us since childhood. Remember when Alice met the caterpillar sitting atop a mushroom, took a bite, and grew to become a giant? Or when the Smurfs lived in mushroom houses? Or when Mario and Luigi harnessed the powers of spotted mushrooms? This lot features a lovely ensemble of four antique, hand-colored lithographs depicting Agaricus (edible mushrooms) mounted behind glass in custom frames. All were drawn from life by Prof. Viviani and printed by Pontenier in Genova, Italy during the 19th century. Naturalists have admired the unique nature of mushrooms since antiquity; however, mycology only became a recognized science in the 19th century, when these hand-colored engravings were created. The fascination with mushrooms stems from their hallucinogenic and medicinal properties as well as the fact that they are delectable ingredients coveted by chefs and diners throughout the world. Size (sight views): ~12.5" L x 9" W (31.8 cm x 22.9 cm) Size (frames): ~19.75" L x 16" W (50.2 cm x 40.6 cm)

Today we are seeing a rising interest in mycology as demonstrated by recent publications such as Merlin Sheldrake?s "Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures" (2020). Brittany Chaffee summed up the current excitement for mushrooms in a recent "Artful Living" article, "Our obsession with mushrooms, as it turns out, is only natural. They help us reconnect with the world around us in a purer, more innocent way. They blend a trippy, technicolor nostalgia for the past with an optimistic blueprint for the future. Most of all, they prove that hope blooms in dark places. Today?s shroom boom confirms that spores are here to stay." (Brittany Chaffee. "Inside the Mushroom Boom of 2022" in "Artful Living" March 16, 2022)

Provenance: private Louisville, Colorado, USA collection

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#185151

All four engravings are mounted under glass in custom frames and have not been examined outside the frames. They present with expected age wear (normal toning, minor stains and slight wave to the sheets), but the imagery and hues are still strong. Some stains to mattes and gallery paper on versos. Normal age wear to frames. Labels for Zwicker's Gallery (founded in 1886) of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on versos.