Mattioli’s Dioscorides illustrated by Cibo (Discorsi by Mattioli and Cibo)
The British Library, London
Discorsi is Mattioli’s Italian translation of Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica (1st century AD) with the addition of lengthy commentaries based on his personal experience and on popular and learned medicine. Mattioli’s book was extremely useful for physicians and herbalists not familiar with classical languages.
Gherardo Cibo was an avid reader and admirer of this book by Mattioli. He copied entire passages in neat script, adding his own comments, anecdotes and legends and, more importantly, illustrated them with delicate and lifelike botanical images. His splendid miniatures feature different species of plants standing out in the foreground against the brightly coloured landscapes of their natural habitat.
Gherardo Cibo’s manuscript, with its dazzlingly beautiful miniatures, is an unusual and personal version of Mattioli’s printed work and a highly original artistic contribution to both nascent modern science and the history of botanical and landscape illustrations.
Discorsi is Mattioli’s Italian translation of Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica (1st century AD) with the addition of lengthy commentaries based on his personal experience and on popular and learned medicine. Mattioli’s book was extremely useful for physicians and herbalists not familiar with classical languages.
Gherardo Cibo was an avid reader and admirer of this book by Mattioli. He copied entire passages in neat script, adding his own comments, anecdotes and legends and, more importantly, illustrated them with delicate and lifelike botanical images. His splendid miniatures feature different species of plants standing out in the foreground against the brightly coloured landscapes of their natural habitat.
Gherardo Cibo’s manuscript, with its dazzlingly beautiful miniatures, is an unusual and personal version of Mattioli’s printed work and a highly original artistic contribution to both nascent modern science and the history of botanical and landscape illustrations.