Ryciny kwiatowe wiązane z Jeremiasem Falckiem. Studium z zakresu siedemnastowiecznych florilegiów

Abstrakt

Jeremias Falck (c. 1605/09–1677) is considered to be the greatest engraver of early modern times working in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Graphical representations of flower forms constitute a significant part of his oeuvre. So far they have not been of special interest to researchers, therefore it is worth giving them more attention now. It seems necessary to look at the existing attributions to estimate the real number of Falck’s works on this subject, and to formally analyse various prints. It is also necessary to critically approach the questions of the original prints, later editions, and copies. Up to date researchers have recorded selected flower representations (see. Table 1), without referring to the information in the only catalogue raisonne of Falck’s works by Block, who attributed to him up to 98 compositions on the subject. Only by comparing prints from the Polish museums with various collections abroad the answer to the question how many flower arrangements were actually created by Jeremias Falck can be provided.

Falck’s authorship of the series Novae et exquisitae FLORUM ICONES has been confirmed. It is also highly likely that he elaborated most of the plates of the series Verscheyde Nieuwe TULPEN. Numerous representations of bouquets preserved in Poznan and in Warsaw, so far assigned to Falck, are mostly copies of etchings created by Jacques Vauquer.

From the frontispiece of the series Novae et exquisitae FLORUM ICONES we can conclude that Falck was not only the engraver, but also the author of the composition (inventor). Flowers in his works do not map a particular set of a botanical collection, but are a recommendation for an artistic representation of the plant. They could have been a kind of a template for painters, and at the same time objects d’art for collectors. Thanks to their artistic qualities, perfect workmanship, and attention to the highest editorial standards, Falck’s flower engravings became desirable works in the art market, copied by other designers and reprinted by other publishers.

The analysis of the preserved prints linked to Falck can also lead to a number of general conclusions on the functioning of the market for graphic art in the 17th century. Florilegia were usually formed in series containing a few to a dozen compositions. Herbaria’s cards could circulate in the form of a compact collection of a few series together, but also in smaller folders or even as loose cards. The study shows that they were particularly popular in 17th-century France and the Netherlands. The increase in production, mainly of the copies of previous cycles, occurred in the 1670s and lasted until the early 18th century. Falck and Vauquer were copied by Gerard Valck, Nicolaes Visscher and many others.