Kaub
1503

There is not much known about Johannes de Cube (or Johann Wonnecke aus Kaub, died around 1503). He was the personal physician of among others Adolf III. of Nassau III. and Eberhard III., Count of Eppstein. In 1484 Cube became the doctor of the city of Frankfurt am Main. He received the Frankfurt citizenship in 1503. Cube was considered to be the only author of Gart der Gesuntheit (Mainz, Peter Schöffer 1485), the first extensive pharmacopoeia in German. The pictures in the book signified a turning-point in the history of botanical illustration, since for the first time the depicted plants were relatively close to the originals in nature. The majority of them are from the painter and graphic artist Erhard Reuwich who knew very well how to illustrate plants loosely based on nature in an impressive artistic way.