Ruban Gros-grain Fruit Vegetable Botanical Scientific Illustration

Fruits and Vegetables is a meticulously detailed antique illustration from Volume 5 of the 1898 Nouveau Larousse Illustre encyclopedia, a landmark French reference work celebrated for its marriage of scholarship and visual art. Executed by the collaborative team of Pierre Larousse, Georges Augé, and Claude, this chromolithograph plate showcases a cornucopia of produce—including apples, grapes, artichokes, and carrots—arranged in symmetrical clusters against a neutral background. The composition blends scientific precision with decorative flair, highlighting each specimen’s natural form and texture through bold outlines and vibrant, flat colors typical of late 19th-century printmaking. Originally created to educate readers about agricultural botany, the illustration now serves as a window into Victorian-era design aesthetics and the intersection of art and science.