Editorial Ramón Sopena — Chickpea: branch, fruit and seeds — original botanical illustration on paper

A chickpea branch occupies the center of the composition, accompanied by an isolated study of its fruit and seeds. The image reflects the clear and functional language of mid-20th-century scientific and agricultural illustration, conceived to visually explain a plant species within a didactic work.

The sheet itself preserves the handwritten identification “Chickpea branch, fruit and seeds,” as well as editorial references that link it to a publication titled or dedicated to Agriculture and Livestock, where it was intended to appear as figure 109, page 283.

The Work

The drawing is executed on paper using a monochrome technique in gray tones, likely graphite, wash, or a combination of both procedures, seeking a precise representation that is easily reproducible in print.

The main branch allows for the recognition of the arrangement of the plant’s stems and leaves, while a fruit and several seeds appear separated at the bottom. This way of organizing the image—complete plant and independent botanical details—was common in agricultural manuals, encyclopedias, and educational works, where the primary objective was to facilitate visual identification.

The illustration is not intended to be decorative. Its interest lies precisely in its descriptive clarity: the soft modeling and light shadows allow the volumes to be distinguished without detracting from the legibility of the whole.

The following inscription is preserved in the lower margin:

“Chickpea branch, fruit and seeds”

along with various production numbers and references. On the reverse side are the notations “Agriculture and Livestock,” “Fig. 109,” and other indications linked to its editorial use.

From Original to Printed Page

This piece belongs to the same context of editorial illustration originals originating from the sphere of Ramón Sopena.

Before being printed, drawings like this one were prepared on independent sheets and accompanied by figure numbers, page references, and annotations intended for the typesetting and reproduction teams.

The sheet preserves exactly those traces of work, which allow it to be understood not only as a botanical representation but also as a small document of 20th-century Spanish editorial production.

Technical Sheet

Publisher / provenance: Editorial archive linked to Ramón Sopena, Barcelona
Title: Chickpea branch, fruit and seeds
Publication: Agriculture and Livestock
Editorial reference: Figure 109, page 283
Chronology: Mid-20th century
Technique: Monochrome drawing on paper, probably graphite and wash
Dimensions: 23 × 16.5 cm
Subject: Botany, agriculture, chickpea (Cicer arietinum)
Type of work: Original scientific and editorial illustration
Author: Unidentified
Inscriptions: Handwritten publication and reproduction references on the front and back
Condition: Good overall condition, with slight marks, mounting remnants, and annotations typical of its editorial use.

The Workshop Note

We are especially interested in this piece because it preserves something that usually disappeared when a book was published: the physical original that existed before the printed image.

The branch, fruit, and seeds are organized exactly as the reader of an agricultural manual was meant to see them: without accessory elements and with the visual information reduced to the essentials. The figure and page annotations further reinforce its documentary nature and allow us to reconstruct part of its function within the publication.

In this type of original, editorial marks are not defects to be hidden, but an essential part of their history.