It is incredibly difficult to track down portraits of vegetable cultivars. Vegetables, for some reason, have never been the subject of a literature as enormous or as beautiful as fruits. One of the most visually important works on vegetables was the Album Benary. No previous work on vegetables had attempted such a comprehensive range of illustrations. As a nursery catalogue it is possibly one of the most elaborate ever produced.

Cabinet card of Ernst Benary. Reference: P/CDV/B/37. Public Domain

Who was Ernst Benary?

Ernst Benary was born in Kassel in Germany in 1819. Showing an interest in horticulture and botany from an early age, he left school in 1838 to pursue a career in gardening. In 1843 Benary established his seed company in Erfurt. The Album Benary was created around 1876 when the company was very well established and internationally successful.

Front cover of the Album Benary. Reference: 635.0 Ben. Public Domain

What is the Album Benary?

The Album Benary is actually a seed catalogue; listing the seeds that can be purchased directly from the company for growing, or for bulk purchasing for smaller traders to sell on. It consists of a portfolio containing 28 chromolithographed plates of fruit and vegetables, each plate facing a list of the varieties printed in German, English, French and Russian. By literally ‘speaking the customer’s language’ Benary developed a strong customer-base across Europe. The plates are protected by leaves of tissue pasted in. The work was published in Erfurt with the chromolithographs printed in Brussels.

Detail of radishes from Tab.VIII of the Album Benary. Public Domain

The Chromolithography process

Chromolithography became a popular method for reproducing coloured plates in great quantities. . The colouring is applied by etching the image into a series of large flat stones, adding the coloured ink and then pressing the paper against the stone. The process is then repeated, layering up different colours to create the full image. If employed sensitively, this method could result in highly detailed, vibrant illustrations. The illustrations in the Album Benary are particularly fine examples of chromolithography. The clarity of the colour is beautifully rendered, giving a crisp silhouette to each vegetable. These were used as sales catalogues by the seed nursery and so designed to be eye-catching and inviting.

Detail of Tab. XXIII. Sugar, or edible-podded peas, from the Album Benary. Public Domain

The patterns and colour variations in different varieties are highlighted to show the range of different fruit and vegetables available. The shape and form of each piece is shown through the shading and highlights, where darker tones contrast with the light that plays across the surface of the skin and leaves. The illustrations have additional touches of gum Arabic - a transparent, viscous wash that makes the colours seem more vibrant or transparent. It increases the gloss of the dried painting to emphasise light and shade.

Detail of Tab. IV.Carrots, from the Album Benary. Public Domain

Benary the artist

Ernest was a passionate artist as well as a seedsman, and it is said that he drew the original illustrations from nature in the Benary nursery. The colouring on the other hand is unrealistic. Oranges and reds that belong less in the garden than on the printer’s inkpad shine out of the pages, while intense purples and greens abound. Yet Benary must have approved the colours Like many commercial adverts the bright colours attract the attention and make the product look appealing.

Links:

Complete digitised copy of the Album Benary on RHS Digital Collections