Pietro Andrea Mattioli (1501-1577) was an Italian physician and renowned botanist. He graduated from the University of Padua in 1523, after which he pursued a career as a physician in Siena, Rome, Trentino, and Gorizia. His excellent reputation ultimately led him to become the personal physician of Archduke Ferdinand II of Tyrol and Emperor Maximilian II. At that time, the medical profession was closely related to the study of plants, as many plants had medicinal properties. Knowledge of these was therefore essential for a good physician. Mattioli had always been interested in plants and conducted his own research with great enthusiasm. He decided to supplement an important botanical work, the Materia Medica by the Greek physician Dioscorides, with his own acquired knowledge. This led to his Discorsi (literally: commentaries), which he published in 1544. Mattioli continued to expand his Discorsi with new knowledge and high-quality illustrations. Most of the woodcuts in the books were created by the artist Giorgio Liberale. Ultimately, many versions of the book were published, each one continually updated. This woodcut in the "The White Swan" collection is from the revised 1571 edition in Italian. The text on the back of the page is visible through the paper.