Subjects
The World of Carolus Clusius:
Natural History in the Making, 1550-1610
Florike Egmond
Perspectives in Economic and Social History
978 1 84893 008 7: 234x156mm: £60.00/$99.00
978 1 84893 009 4
This vibrant study explores the way in which European knowledge of the natural world was transformed during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Based on a large collection of primary source material – mainly correspondence – Egmond investigates horticultural techniques, fashions in the collection of rare plants, botanical experimentation and methods of scientific evaluation, as well as tracking the exchange of knowledge.
Central to this activity is the figure of Carolus Clusius (1526-1609), the first truly scientific botanist. The transformation of people's everyday experience with plants is shown through the practical manifestations of this newly-found fervour: the growth of collecting, garden display, and fascination with the rare and exotic.
Readership
Early Modern History, Natural Sciences and the History of Science
Contents
Introduction
1 The Garden of Europe: Botany as a Courtly Fashion in the Southern Netherlands
2 Expert Gardeners: Growing Rare Plants during the late Sixteenth Century
3 Women in the Garden: Noble Women and the Passion for Plants
4 Female Experts: Elegance and Rivalry
5 Nature as a Garden: Wild Flora and Cultivated Plants
6 Italy as a Gateway to the Mediterranean: Greece, Egypt and the Middle East
7 Fieldwork in France: Exploring the Indigebous Flora
8 French Collectors between Port and Court: The Desire for Rarities
9 Dutch Ports: Curiosity and the Exotic
10 Nature in the University: Leiden and the Convergence of European Cultural Traditions
11 Interlocking Networks: London and Amsterdam
12 Spanning the World: Dealing with Exotics
Conclusion