Post by EPO Srl - Estratti Piante Officinali

John Sibthorp and Ferdinand Lucas Bauer: When Art and Science Meet in the Mediterranean Our 2026 botanical journey continues with John Sibthorp, an Oxford-born professor of botany, and Ferdinand Lucas Bauer, a brilliant young Austrian botanical illustrator. Inspired by the study of the renowned codex "Vienna Dioscorides" and by the desire to compare ancient medical descriptions with living specimens, the duo embarked on a historic expedition to the Eastern Mediterranean—Sibthorp to identify and collect the plants, and Bauer to faithfully sketch them from life. The result of this extraordinary collaboration was "Flora Graeca", widely considered the most expensive and beautiful herbal ever published. It was a masterpiece of refined magnificence and immense scientific value. Tragically, Sibthorp never lived to see his life's work printed; he died of tuberculosis at the young age of 37 on his way home from the second journey. Yet, his legacy lives on through these breathtaking plates. Among the many Mediterranean species detailed in "Flora Graeca" stands Pink Rockrose (Cistus x incanus L.), a resilient shrub typical of the Mediterranean scrub that has been valued for centuries, offering:  Traditional Relief: long utilized in herbal traditions for digestive and respiratory complaints.  Antimicrobial Defense: recognized for its natural antimicrobial and antioxidant properties.  Anti-Adhesive Support: recent preclinical studies have evidenced its ability to help prevent the adhesion of infective bacteria to human gastric and bladder mucosa. Despite the passing of centuries, Pink Rockrose continues to bridge ancient botanical wisdom and modern scientific research, and, with its timeless beauty, it still inspires artists - especially photographers - as it did in the era of "Flora Graeca". Join us next month as we turn the page to discover another fascinating chapter of botanical art history. #EPOSrl #BotanicalIllustration #PinkRockrose #HistoryOfBotany #Phytotherapy #FloraGraeca