The Book of Citrus Fruits J. C. Volkamer

Citrons, lemons, and bitter oranges drift like celestial bodies above Italian villas, Nuremberg gardens, and sun-washed countryside in J. C. Volkamer’s extraordinary tribute to citrus. Part botanical study, part dreamlike spectacle, this volume revives a moment in history when these fragrant fruits were rare, exotic marvels north of the Alps.

Created in the early 18th century, Volkamer’s monumental project brings together 170 varieties of citrus, reproduced from a hand-colored series of large copperplate engravings. Many fruits appear life-size, suspended above landscapes rendered with equal care—from Genoese coastlines and Bolognese courtyards to imperial gardens and imagined horizons. The result is a world where nature, geography, and imagination converge in scenes of quiet grandeur.

A devoted collector, Volkamer sourced plants from across Europe, North Africa, and as far as the Cape of Good Hope, cultivating an exceptional garden in Nuremberg and documenting his expertise with remarkable precision. Alongside the plates, he offers detailed observations on cultivation, scent, form, and origin, as well as practical guidance on orangeries, glasshouses, and early hothouses—capturing the scientific curiosity and aesthetic ambition of his age.

Exceptionally rare, fully colored sets of Volkamer’s work survive in only a handful of collections. This edition draws from two recently rediscovered hand-colored volumes held in the municipal archive of Fürth at Schloss Burgfarrnbach and is further enriched by 56 newly uncovered illustrations intended for a third volume. Together, they form a luminous portrait of botanical obsession, artistic mastery, and the enduring allure of citrus.