First and only edition of a sumptuous botanical work by the French botanist Charles-Louis LHéritier de Brutelle (1746-1800). In this work LHéritier describes a great number of new taxa, including many growing in his own garden (of more than 8000 plants), the gardens of his friends and in the Jardin du Roi. Hunt describes this work as the "magnum opus" of LHéritier de Brutelle and as a benchmark in the history of 18th-century flower books. "The book is splendid in spacious description, its charming exotic plates, its implications for taxonomic history; and fascinating as an imposing piece of eighteenth-century bookmaking, with its series of fascicles printed on broadsheets, its bibliographical algebra." (Hunt)
It is also the first publication of the work of the young botanical engraver Pierre Joseph Rédoute (1759-1840), who also engraved at least the 22 plates he drew himself. It is in this work that Redouté emerges as an extraordinary botanical artist, because LHéritier asked him to draw the majority of the plates. For the Stirpes novae LHéritier and Redouté worked together for the first time, but after that they worked more often together, for example for the Sertum Anglicum (1788). Their friendship proved a determining factor in Redoutés career and enabled him to fully develop his extraordinary talents.
Pink paper wrappers rubbed and some paper missing on the front and back board. Board edges and corners worn. The bookblock is in good condition, with exception of a tear in plate XXXI. Otherwise a rare book in good condition. De Belder 215; Hunt 673; Johnston 555; Nissen, BBI 1190; Pritzel 5268; Stafleu & Cowan 4484; cf. Buchheim, "A bibliographical account of L'Héritier's 'Stirpes novae'", in: Huntia, vol. 2, (1965), pp. 29-58.