Just finished this today. It is the lifecycle of the bee. Reductive technique linocuts dipped in beeswax. Some prints have 12 colours.
The text is a writing from 1572, La Masion Rustique by Charles Estienne.
Charles Estienne,
La Maison Rustique (1572)
Trans. Richard Surflet (1600)
The householder
shall make choice for the keeping of his bees of some fit and secret place in
his Garden of Pleasure, in the bottome of some valley if it be possible, to the
end they may the more easily rise on high to fly abroad to get their food, as
also for that when they be laden, they descend more easily downward with their
load. But let us see to it especially that the place be open to the South sun,
and yet notwithstanding, neither exceeding in heat nor in cold, but temperate; and
that the same by hill, wall or some other rampart be defended from windes and
tempests, and so also as that they may flie their sundrie and severall waies
for to get diversitie of pastures, and so again may returned to their little
cottages laden with their composition of hony; and againe in such a place, as
wherein there is great quantitie of thyme, organie, ivie, winter savorie, wild
thyme, rosemary, sage, corneflag or gladdon, gilleflowres, violets, white
lilies, roses, flowre-gentill, basil, saffron, beanes, poppie, melilot,
milfoile and other sweet herbs.
