First edition.<\/span><\/p>\nJoseph Pitton de Tournefort (1656\u20131708), born in Aix-en-Provence, was one of the most eminent botanists of the 17th century. A major precursor to Linnaeus, he devoted himself to botany from 1677 onwards and, whilst collecting plants in Haute-Provence, began to compile a herbarium which he would continue to expand throughout his life. He continued this work in the Dauphin\u00e9, in Savoy, in Montpellier (where he studied at the Faculty of Medicine), in the Pyrenees, in Spain, in Portugal, in England and in the Netherlands. His reputation grew to such an extent that he soon had students and was chosen by Fagon, Louis XIV\u2019s physician, to succeed him at the King\u2019s Garden in 1683.<\/p>\n
In this seminal work, Tournefort proposed one of the first methods of systematic classification (as opposed to the subjective methods of the past), based on two levels: genus, determined by the flower and the fruit, for which he identified 22 different genera; and species, determined by the flowers (primarily the corolla), the leaves, the roots, the stems and the flavour, for which he defined 700 species. This method, which enabled the classification of over 8,000 specimens, spread throughout Europe and was only superseded by Linnaeus\u2019s system, which paid tribute to Tournefort\u2019s efforts towards clarity and precision.<\/p>\n
In 1701, he was commissioned by Louis XIV to undertake a scientific expedition to the Levant in order to search for \u2018plants, metals and minerals, to learn about the diseases of those countries and the remedies in use there, and everything relating to medicine and natural history\u2019. On his return two years later, he brought back a vast botanical collection comprising several thousand plants. This rich haul enabled him to compile a supplement to his *Institutiones*, illustrated with 13 new plates and added to the posthumous edition of 1717.<\/p>\n
The work is illustrated with 451 plates drawn by Claude Aubriet. A painter of animals and flowers, Claude Aubriet (1651\u20131742) was appointed painter to the King\u2019s Cabinet and Garden in 1700 following this publication. He accompanied Tournefort on his journey to Asia Minor (1700\u20131702), sketching the naturalist\u2019s discoveries, and also provided plates for S\u00e9bastien Vaillant\u2019s *Botanicon parisiense* (1727).<\/p>\n
Tournefort died prematurely in an accident at the age of 52, leaving behind an indelible mark on the science of botany. Bernard de Fontenelle, in his posthumous eulogy, stated that Tournefort had brought order to the \u2018magnificent confusion\u2019 of nature. Furthermore, although his system was abandoned in favour of that of Carl von Linn\u00e9, his classification laid the foundations for the Swedish botanist\u2019s work on binomial nomenclature.<\/p>\n
The volumes also feature three title pages engraved by Cornelus Vermeulen depicting the King\u2019s Garden.<\/p>\n
Ff section of Volume I bound in the wrong order. Plate 197 of Volume II partially coloured; plate 447 of Volume III with a slight tear.<\/p>\n
Manuscript bookplate partially erased on the engraved title pages of the three volumes. [Ioannis Ludovici Grignon?] \u2013 Fran\u00e7ois Chr\u00e9tien (bookplate).<\/p>\n
A very fine copy of this monumental work of botany, containing all 451 plates as required.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
3 volumes (201 x 123 mm) with an engraved title page, 10 unn.l. 562 pages, 10 unn.l. (table of contents, errata, colophon) for Volume I; an engraved title page and 234 plates for Volume II; and an engraved title page and plates 235 to 451 for Volume III. Speckled porphyry calf, triple fillet framing the covers, flat spine gilt, title piece in red morocco and volume piece in black morocco, gilt edges, inner roulettes (contemporary binding<\/i>).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":91220,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[532],"product_tag":[1239,590,1450,1323],"class_list":{"0":"post-91233","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"product_cat-botanical","7":"product_tag-17th-century-illustrations","8":"product_tag-botanical","9":"product_tag-first-edition","10":"product_tag-general-botany","11":"pa_auteur-tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-2","12":"pa_type-de-livre-printed-book","14":"first","15":"instock","16":"shipping-taxable","17":"purchasable","18":"product-type-simple"},"acf":{"artist":" Joseph Pitton de TOURNEFORT","chapeau":"Linnaeus\u2019s precursor","adresse_bibliographique":"Paris, De l'Imprimerie Royale, 1694","book_type":"Printed book","provenance":"","afficher_prix":"oui"},"yoast_head":"\nTOURNEFORT Joseph Pitton de \u00c9lemens de botanique. - Libairie Clavreuil<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"TOURNEFORT Joseph Pitton de \u00c9lemens de botanique. - Libairie Clavreuil\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"3 volumes (201 x 123 mm) with an engraved title page, 10 unn.l. 562 pages, 10 unn.l. (table of contents, errata, colophon) for Volume I; an engraved title page and 234 plates for Volume II; and an engraved title page and plates 235 to 451 for Volume III. Speckled porphyry calf, triple fillet framing the covers, flat spine gilt, title piece in red morocco and volume piece in black morocco, gilt edges, inner roulettes (contemporary binding).\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Libairie Clavreuil\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-25T15:29:38+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/joseph-pitton-de-tournefort-elemens-de-botanique-9997-6a2035c8bc260.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"622\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/\",\"name\":\"TOURNEFORT Joseph Pitton de \u00c9lemens de botanique. - Libairie Clavreuil\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/joseph-pitton-de-tournefort-elemens-de-botanique-9997-6a2035c8bc260.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-25T15:21:42+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-25T15:29:38+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/joseph-pitton-de-tournefort-elemens-de-botanique-9997-6a2035c8bc260.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/joseph-pitton-de-tournefort-elemens-de-botanique-9997-6a2035c8bc260.jpg\",\"width\":622,\"height\":800},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Accueil\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"All our books\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/all-our-books\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"TOURNEFORT Joseph Pitton de \u00c9lemens de botanique.\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/\",\"name\":\"Libairie Clavreuil\",\"description\":\"Livres anciens, manuscrits rares et \u00e9ditions originales \u2013 Librairie Clavreuil\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Libairie Clavreuil\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/cropped-LOGO_PNG_DATE-_gold-512x512-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/cropped-LOGO_PNG_DATE-_gold-512x512-1.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Libairie Clavreuil\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/librairieclavreuil\/\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"TOURNEFORT Joseph Pitton de \u00c9lemens de botanique. - Libairie Clavreuil","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"TOURNEFORT Joseph Pitton de \u00c9lemens de botanique. - Libairie Clavreuil","og_description":"3 volumes (201 x 123 mm) with an engraved title page, 10 unn.l. 562 pages, 10 unn.l. (table of contents, errata, colophon) for Volume I; an engraved title page and 234 plates for Volume II; and an engraved title page and plates 235 to 451 for Volume III. Speckled porphyry calf, triple fillet framing the covers, flat spine gilt, title piece in red morocco and volume piece in black morocco, gilt edges, inner roulettes (contemporary binding).","og_url":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/","og_site_name":"Libairie Clavreuil","article_modified_time":"2026-06-25T15:29:38+00:00","og_image":[{"width":622,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/joseph-pitton-de-tournefort-elemens-de-botanique-9997-6a2035c8bc260.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"2 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/","url":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/","name":"TOURNEFORT Joseph Pitton de \u00c9lemens de botanique. - Libairie Clavreuil","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/joseph-pitton-de-tournefort-elemens-de-botanique-9997-6a2035c8bc260.jpg","datePublished":"2026-06-25T15:21:42+00:00","dateModified":"2026-06-25T15:29:38+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/joseph-pitton-de-tournefort-elemens-de-botanique-9997-6a2035c8bc260.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/joseph-pitton-de-tournefort-elemens-de-botanique-9997-6a2035c8bc260.jpg","width":622,"height":800},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/tournefort-joseph-pitton-de-elemens-de-botanique\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Accueil","item":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"All our books","item":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/all-our-books\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"TOURNEFORT Joseph Pitton de \u00c9lemens de botanique."}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/","name":"Libairie Clavreuil","description":"Livres anciens, manuscrits rares et \u00e9ditions originales \u2013 Librairie Clavreuil","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/#organization","name":"Libairie Clavreuil","url":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/cropped-LOGO_PNG_DATE-_gold-512x512-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/cropped-LOGO_PNG_DATE-_gold-512x512-1.png","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Libairie Clavreuil"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/librairieclavreuil\/"]}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product\/91233","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/product"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91233"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"product_brand","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_brand?post=91233"},{"taxonomy":"product_cat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_cat?post=91233"},{"taxonomy":"product_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.librairieclavreuil.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product_tag?post=91233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}