FR EN
1 / 41
an old book sitting on top of a table next to a white wallan open book with a drawing of a man and a woman in a rooman open book with a drawing of a horse and rider on itan open book with a drawing of a man and a woman sitting at a tablean open book with a picture of a man on itan old book sitting on top of a wooden table next to a white wallan old book that is sitting on a tablean old book sitting on top of a white table next to a white wallan old book that is sitting on a tablean old book sitting on top of a white table next to a blue backgroundan open book with a picture of a coat of arms on itan image of a drawing of a coat of arms on a piece of paperan old book with writing on it sitting on a tablean old book with writing on it sitting on a tablean open book with a drawing of a man in a rooman old drawing of a man and a woman standing in front of a fireplacean old book with writing on it sitting on a tablean open book with a drawing of a plant on itan old book with a drawing of a tree on itan open book with drawings of plants on ita page from a book with a drawing of a man in a bathtuban open book with a drawing of a plant on itan old book with a drawing of a plant on itan open book with a picture of a man and a woman on itan open book with a picture of a man and a womantwo pages of a book with pictures of animals and plantsan open book with a picture of a tree on itan old book with a drawing of a tree on itan old book with a picture of a man and a dog on itan open book with a drawing of a plant on itan open book with illustrations of plants and flowers on ittwo pages of an old book with drawings of plantsan open book with a picture of a man and a woman on itan old book with a drawing of a spider on itan old book with a drawing of a boat in the wateran open book with illustrations of animals and people on itan open book with pictures of animals on itan open book with a picture of a man and a womanan old book with a red cover sitting on a white surfacean old book that is sitting on a tablean old book sitting on a table with a red cover
Featured lot selected by the auctions House.
Premium VALOIR POUSSE-CORNET Maison de ventes

205 - HORTUS SANITATIS. — Ortus sanitatis.
See original version (French)

Estimate €30,000 - €40,000
Sale commission
Description
HORTUS SANITATIS. — Ortus sanitatis. No place, no date [Strasbourg, Johann Prüss, not after 1498]. Folio, Bradel-style cardboard binding, plain spine, red title label, date ‘1485’ in ink at the top, red edges (late 18th-century binding). A very rare incunabulum edition of the *Hortus sanitatis*. (GW, 13549. – HC, 8942*. – Goff, H488. – Davies, Fairfax Murray: *German*, vol. I, pp. 342–344.) A comprehensive compilation of all medieval knowledge in the fields of botany, zoology and medicine, the *Hortus sanitatis* is a major work of Renaissance medical literature. Its text is derived from the *Circa instans* by Platearius, a 12th-century physician from Salerno, which was subsequently expanded during the Middle Ages to become the *Gart der Gesundheit*, meaning the ‘Garden of Health’. Finally, after numerous additions, it became the almost entirely new work known today as the *Hortus sanitatis*. The first edition, in Latin, was published in Mainz in 1491 by Meydenbach, and was followed by two undated Latin editions from Strasbourg attributed to Johann Prüss. The first French edition was published by Antoine Vérard in Paris around 1500–1501. A superb edition from Strasbourg, printed in two columns in Gothic type at 54/55 lines per page. Its illustrations, modelled on those of the first edition, are adorned with over 1,000 woodcuts spanning the width of a column – roughly one per chapter, each occupying a quarter of a page – many of which are repeated, depicting various species of plants, mammals, birds, insects and fish, as well as monsters and mythical creatures; some woodcuts relate to mineralogy, depicting figures working with precious stones. There are also three beautiful full-page woodcuts: one on the reverse of the title page, showing a professor and four students, another at the head of the *Tractatus de animalibus* depicting the human skeleton, and a final one for the *Tractatus de urinis* or treatise on the examination of urine, in which a doctor is seen selecting medicinal substances from a chemist’s. These three engravings are taken from the Strasbourg edition published in 1497 by Grüninger of Jérôme Brunschwig’s medical book, entitled *Dis ist das buch der Cirurgia*. On the upper inside front cover: a handwritten ex-libris in ink, and a 19th-century engraved ex-libris bearing a coat of arms. Handwritten note at the bottom of the title page: ‘Gedruckt zum Mainz mit Fausts und Schöffers Zeichen im Jahr 1485’ (a reference to a 1485 edition of *Gart der Gesundheit*). Text underlined in pencil across several leaves. A very attractive copy in its original binding, complete. A grease stain affecting several leaves (particularly in the margins of the opening section and in section K). A small tear, with no loss or repair, on leaves e5, l3, m3, L2, O6 and &1. A hole at the bottom of the title page and in the margin of the second folio (filled in); a small wormhole removing a letter from the last line of folio a2. Expert: Mr Dominique Courvoisier
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale TREASURES OF THE LOIRE VALLEY: books and archaeology
Auction location
Auction time 11/23/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like