Aurantium Virgatum 1646

"Aurantium Virgatum" is a botanical illustration by Giovanni Battista Ferrari from 1646. The artwork depicts a branch of a citrus tree with a whole orange and a cross-section of the fruit. The delicate rendering of the fruit, leaves, and red ribbon tied around the orange showcase Ferrari's expertise in botanical illustration. The precise detail and realistic depiction of the citrus fruit make this artwork a valuable record of the natural world. It is part of Ferrari's larger work, "De Florum Cultura." This type of botanical illustration was popular during the Renaissance and Baroque periods, and it helped to further the understanding of the natural world.