Have you ever thought of citrus fruits as celestial bodies, floating angelically over Italian villas, Nuremberg gardens, and picturesque landscapes? Perhaps not, but J. C. Volkamer did – in the early 18th century, he commissioned a series of magnificent, large-format copper engravings depicting around 170 different varieties of limes, lemons, and bitter oranges in surreal scenes.

The Nuremberg merchant Volkamer (1644–1720) ordered plants mainly from Italy, North Africa, and even by mail from the Cape of Good Hope, and he was a lover of fragrant and exotic citrus fruits at a time when these fruits were still largely unknown north of the Alps. In his garden, he planted a variety of species and became so obsessed with the fruits that he commissioned a team of copper engravers to create 256 plates featuring 170 citrus varieties. The resulting two-volume publication on citrus cultivation (1708–1714) shows many of the fruits in their natural size. The first volume appeared in 1708 with the impressively long title Nürnbergische Hesperides, Oder Gründliche Beschreibung der Edlen Citronat, Citronen, und Pomeranzen-Früchte, Wie solche, in selbiger und benachbarten Gegend, recht mögen eingesetzt, gewartet, erhalten und fortgebracht werden.

In both volumes, Volkamer draws on his many years of practical experience with citrus fruits and their care – from the construction of temporary orangeries for winter protection to detailed descriptions of each citrus variety, including their size, shape, color, scent, tree or shrub, leaves, and country of origin.

The plates are also a tribute by Volkamer to the green landscapes of northern Italy, his hometown of Nuremberg, and other places that inspired his imagination. From the Genoese sea view to Schloss Schönbrunn, each location is depicted with as extraordinary detail as the fruits themselves. We see grapefruit-heavy branches arching over a sunlit courtyard in Bologna and admire a huge pineapple plant sprouting from a South American city. The volume is not only a fantastic collection of botanical beauties but also a highly poetic tour through the lush gardens and places where these fruits once grew.

Only a few hand-colored Volkamer copies have survived to this day. This TASCHEN publication is based on the set in the Fürth city archive at Schloss Burgfarrnbach and also presents 56 newly discovered plates that Volkamer intended to publish in an originally planned third volume, which never came to fruition.