Poison Hemlock — Antique Botanical Print

The Story in the Margin

Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is a tall, delicate-leaved member of the carrot family, native to Europe and North Africa, identifiable by the distinctive purple blotches that mottle its hollow stems. It owes its grim fame to the death of the philosopher Socrates in 399 BCE, condemned by Athens to drink a hemlock preparation, an episode recorded in Plato's Phaedo that has made the plant synonymous with state-sanctioned poisoning ever since. Its toxicity comes from coniine, a potent alkaloid that paralyzes the nervous system, present in every part of the plant, though ancient physicians occasionally used minute, carefully measured doses as a sedative. Its resemblance to edible relatives like wild carrot and parsley made accurate botanical illustration a genuine matter of life and death for foragers and apothecaries alike.

Materials & origin

• Material: 200 gsm gallery-grade, acid-free fine-art paper (FSC-certified).
• Print: Archival giclée, 12-colour printing, smooth matte finish for glare-free display.
• Artwork: Restored from a public-domain original; colour and detail digitally cleaned for large-format print.
• Origin: Made on demand and shipped from the print hub nearest you, cutting transit and waste.
• Framing: Sold unframed; ships rolled in a protective tube.