The famous illustration of Imperato's museum or "cabinet of curiosities" published in this work was the first pictorial representation of the natural history research collection formed by Renaissance humanist". The collection embraced an herbarium, shells, birds, sea creatures, fossils, clays, minerals and metallic ores, marbles and gems. It was maintained by Imperato's son Francesco, who assisted him in writing up his observations, and who may be seen in the engraving pointing out details of the specimens to two visitors as Ferrante looks on. Digital facsimile of the 1599 from the Getty Research Institute, Internet Archive, at this link. Expanded second edition, Venice, 1672 of which a digital facsimile is available from the Internet Archive at this link.