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TURPIN, Pierre Jean Francois ( French, 1775-1840). “Achras mammosa Sapote Espagnole (Achras Mammosa Sapotillier Mammee Pouteria sapota or mamey sapote)”. Watercolor and pencil on paper . Inscribed “Achras mammosa Sapote Espagnole”. Preparatory drawing for F.R. Tussac. Flore des Antilles, ou histoire générale botanique, rurale et economique des végétaux indigènes des Antilles. Paris: chez l’auteur, F. Schoell et Hautel, 1808-1827 Vol. 3 Pl. 6. 17 1/2" x 12 1/4" sheet, 23 3/4" x 20 1/2" framed. Lots 56 - 58 Are The Most Important Natural History Watercolors Relating to the West Indies Ever to Come to Market Pouteria sapota, also known as the mamey sapote, is originally from Mexico and grows in Central America and the Caribbean. The fruit is technically classified as a berry, ranging from pink to orange to red, while the skin is brown and has a texture between sandpaper and the fuzz on a peach. The texture of the fruit is creamy and soft, and the flavor is a combination of sweet potato, pumpkin, honey, prune, peach, apricot, cantaloupe, cherry, and almond. Tussac wrote of this species: “This species of tree, which is called sapotier in Santo Domingo, is found in the lower mountains which dominate the town of Cap-Francais; it is noted for its beautiful stature, its beautiful foliage and the size of its fruits, which provide proof that beauty and goodness are not always found together; for they are hardly edible, and they are never served on tables. They are, however, interesting in one respect; the pit contains an almond nut of such pleasant bitterness and aroma, that the famous liquor maker of Martinique, Madame Amphoux (a fa- mous French distiller), preferred them to the apricot pits/nuts of France, to make the exquisite liqueur which she called crème de core. Every year several small ships arrived in Martinique from Curacao, carrying no other cargo than sapot pits/nuts. It is said that in Malabar they happily eat the flowers of this tree, and put them in the skin to give it a pleasant taste. The wood of this tree is not hard, it is not used for any economic use.” ------ Pierre Jean François Turpin was a French botanist and illustrator. He is considered one of the greatest floral and botanical illustrators during the Napoleonic Era and afterwards. As an artist, Turpin was largely self-taught. In 1794 he was stationed in Haiti as a member of the French Army. Here he met botanist Pierre Antoine Poiteau (1766-1854), through whom, Turpin learned botany, and in the meantime, created numerous botanical field drawings that were to become a basis of further study when the two men returned to France. In regard to their work in Haiti, they were able to describe approximately 800 species of plants. Turpin would have a working relationship with Poiteau throughout his career. Through his collaboration with Poiteau and other naturalists, Turpin created some of the finest watercolors and illustrations of plants that are known to exist.