BOTANICAL ART & ARTISTS
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Book Review: The Art of Plant Evolution

by W. John Kress and Shirley Sherwood
Picture

The Art of Plant Evolution

Synopsis
This book was published for the 'art meets science' exhibition of the same name at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 2009/10 to celebrate Kew’s 250th anniversary and Darwin’s bicentenary.

The exhibition (and the book) provides an overview of plant relationships based on contemporary scientific discoveries and DNA test.
  • Both contain 136 botanical paintings from the Shirley Sherwood Collection, by 84 artists, cover 44 orders of plants in 118 families, and a total of 134 species, providing a sweeping overview of the evolution of plants on earth.
  • The paintings display a sampling of the plant world from fungi to daisies, including algae, mosses, ferns, conifers and flowering plants arranged in the most up to date evolutionary sequence, determined by recent DNA analysis.
  • The text accompany each image of paintings in the exhibition comments on the artist's background, and the artist’s observations in the context of modern plant classification.​
Summary

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED This book emphasises the scientific aspects of botanical art and makes it accessible. It's an excellent book and one which deserves to be on the reference shelves of every serious botanical artist.

It provides all botanical art lovers with a comprehensive education in the botany of plant groups and families alongside numerous excellent examples of botanical art.

Contents cover:

  • Art meets science
  • Natural selection and the origins of species
  • Plant evolutionary relationships and a natural classification
  • How do we know about plant evolutionary relationships? Evidence from fossils; Evidence from DNA sequence data
  • Co-evolution between plants and animals
  • The current classification of major groups of plants
  • The paintings. Taxonomic arrangement of the paintings
  • Fungi and plants without seeds
  • Gymnosperms
  • Basal angiosperms
  • Early diverging eudicots
  • Core eudicots.

Suitable for:
  • emerging and experienced botanical artists and illustrators
  • people who learned their botany some time ago and need to update on recent discoveries
Highlights:
  • complete taxonomic classification of all plants - and paintings
  • painting names are matched to correct botanical names and plant families
  • explanation of the DNA sequencing process as applied to plants
  • short synopsis of the major evolutionary groups
  • book organised according to each main plant group
  • illustrations of examples of 134 species from 116 plant families divided among 44 plant orders
  • work by 84 international artists
  • detailed scientific commentary on individual plants representative of different plants groups and families
  • excellent bibliography and glossary
  • this is a substantial book with excellent production standards - the colour and detailing of the images is first rate
Think again?
  • I'm not sure there's an easy way into botany and the classification of plants. The scientific explanations certainly require focused attention. (However the book is beautiful to look at even if you skip the science bits initially)
  • I wish it had a list of artists as an appendix
I was fortunate to see the exhibition as well - and greatly enjoyed seeing the artwork of the artists include a number - from Japan and Brazil - who were not previously known to me. . See my Exhibition review: The Art of Plant Evolution 
Picture
Technical data: 
Authors: W. John Cress and Shirley Sherwood
Publisher: Kew Publishing 
Hardback Date: UK 22nd August 2009; USA - February 15, 2010
320 pages; 292 x 225mm.
Hardcover (with dust jacket): ISBN 9781842464212
Paperback: ISBN 9781842464175
Nominated for Technical category | The Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries Annual Awards 2010

BUY THIS BOOK (Note a new hardback now costs over £200 as it is out of print as a hardback! However you can buy the paperback new for a lot less.)
The Art of Plant Evolution on Amazon UK
The Art of Plant Evolution on Amazon.com

Authors:

  • Dr W. John Kress is Curator and Research Scientist at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington DC . He studied at both Harvard and Duke Universities and his research interests include the systematic biology of Heliconia and other Zingiberales​
  • Dr Shirley Sherwood has been collecting contemporary botanical drawings from around the world since 1990. Her comprehensive collection includes work by artists living in over thirty different countries and documents the emergence of a new wave of botanical painters and the renaissance of their art form and is arguably the most important private collection of twentieth century botanical art in the world.
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  • Home
    • Site Index
  • NEWS
    • NEWS blog subscription
  • HISTORY
    • What is Botanical Art?
    • What is Botanical Illustration?
    • Botanical Art History Books >
      • The Art of Botanical Illustration (Blunt)
      • Book Review: Treasures of Botanical Art
    • Herbals
    • Florilegia and Flora
    • Patrons of Botanical Art >
      • About Leonhart Fuchs
      • About Basilius Besler
    • Past Masters - Botanical Art and Illustration >
      • About Maria Sibylla Merian
      • About Elizabeth Blackwell
      • About Georg Dionysius Ehret
      • About Franz Bauer
      • About Sydney Parkinson
      • About Pierre-Joseph Redouté
      • About Marianne North
    • Famous Asian Botanical Artists (600-1900)
    • 20th & 21st Century Botanical Artists >
      • About Arthur Harry Church
      • About Margaret Mee
      • About Mary Grierson
      • About Raymond Booth
      • About Rory McEwen
      • About Pandora Sellars
    • Botanical Photographers
    • Botanical and Herbal Art Online
  • ARTISTS
    • Botanical Artists in the UK
    • Botanical Artists in North America
    • Botanical Artists in Europe
    • Botanical Artists in Australia and New Zealand
    • Botanical Artists in Asia
    • Botanical Artists in Africa
    • Botanical Artists in Latin America
    • Botanical Printmakers, Photographers, Sculptors et al
    • The Jill Smythies Award
    • Botanical Artists on Facebook
    • Botanical Art Blogs
  • Exhibitions
    • Calls for Entries - OPEN exhibitions
    • Online Exhibitions >
      • ARCHIVE: Online Botanical Art Exhibitions
    • RHS Botanical Art & Photography Shows >
      • ARCHIVE RHS Botanical Art Shows 2007-2023
      • Exhibit Titles at RHS Botanical Art Shows
      • RHS Portfolio Photography (Botanical / Horticultural)
    • The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art >
      • ARCHIVE: Shirley Sherwood Gallery Exhibitions
    • Hunt International Exhibition of Botanical Art & Illustration
    • UK >
      • Permanent Collections (UK)
      • Botanical Art Exhibitions at Major UK Galleries & Museums >
        • ARCHIVE: Major Gallery Exhibitions
      • Botanical Art Exhibitions in England and Wales >
        • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in the UK
        • ARCHIVE: Reviews of Annual Exhibitions by the Society of Botanical Artists
      • Botanical Art Exhibitions in Scotland >
        • ARCHIVE: Scotland - Botanical Art Exhibitions
    • North America >
      • Permanent Collections (USA)
      • ARCHIVE Past ASBA Exhibitions in the USA
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in the USA
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in Canada
    • Europe >
      • Permanent Collections (Europe)
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in Europe
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Exhibitions in Germany
      • ARCHIVE: ​Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in Ireland
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Exhibitions in Russia
    • Australasia >
      • Margaret Flockton Award
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in Australasia
    • Asia >
      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in Asia
    • Africa
    • ARCHIVE: World Wide Exhibition of Botanical Art 2018
  • Education
    • NEW BOOKS about Botanical Art and Illustration >
      • NEW in 2020: Books about Botanical Art & Illustration
      • NEW IN 2019: Books about Botanical Art & Illustration
      • NEW in 2018: Books about Botanical Art & Illustration
    • Best Botanical Art Instruction Books >
      • Best Instruction Books by Botanical Art Societies >
        • The Art of Botanical Painting - review
        • The Botanical Palette - review
        • Botanical Sketchbook - review
      • Best Instruction Books about Botanical Illustration >
        • Botanical Illustration - Books by Bobbi Angell
        • Botanical Illustration (Oxley) - review
      • Best Instruction Books by top Artists / Teachers >
        • Books By Billy Showell
        • Books - the Eden Project
      • Best Botanical Drawing Instruction Books (Pencils) >
        • Botanical Painting with Coloured Pencils - review
      • e-Booklets / digital guides
    • Tips and Techniques >
      • Tips from RHS Gold Medal Winners
      • Preparation and set-up
      • Botanical Sketching and Sketchbooks
      • Design and composition
      • Colour
      • Pen and Ink
      • How to draw and paint trees and leaves
    • Botanical Art Video Tips >
      • Video Tips: Watercolour Painting
      • Video Tips Coloured Pencils
      • Video Tips: Pencil drawing
      • Video Tips: Painting Flowers
      • Video Tips: Painting Leaves & Trees
    • Online Botanical Art Instruction >
      • CHECKLIST: FAQS about Online Learning
      • ONLINE TIMELINE
    • International Directory: Botanical Art Teachers
    • International Directory of Botanical Art Courses >
      • UK: Botanical Art Courses
      • North America: Botanical Art Courses
      • Europe: Botanical Art Courses & Holidays
      • Australasia: Botanical Art Courses
    • Artist Residencies, Scholarships and Bursaries
    • Diplomas and Certificates >
      • SBA Diploma Assignments
    • Distance Learning Courses
    • Talks, Lectures & Tours
    • Botanical Education on Facebook
  • Materials
    • Paper
    • Vellum
  • Groups
    • National & Regional Botanical Art Societies
    • Florilegium Societies & Other Groups
    • Finnis Scott Foundation: Botanical Art Prize
    • Botanical Art Groups on Facebook
  • Botany
    • Why botany matters to artists
    • Botany Books for artists >
      • Botany for the Artist (Simblet)
      • The Art of Plant Evolution
      • The Concise British Flora in Colour (1965)
    • Scientific botanical illustration
    • Plant Forms and Anatomy
    • Plant Evolution and Taxonomy
    • Plant Names and Botanical Latin
    • Botanical Dictionaries
    • How to Identify Plants
    • Recording a Plant / Sketchbooks >
      • Plant Pressing for your own Herbarium
    • Botanic Gardens & Herbaria >
      • Global and National Networks
      • Herbaria, Seed Banks and Fungaria
      • Old Botanic & Physic Gardens in London
      • Botanic Gardens in the UK
      • Botanic Gardens in Ireland
      • Botanic Gardens in Europe
      • Botanic Gardens in the USA
      • Botanic Gardens in Canada
      • Botanic Gardens in Asia
      • Botanic Gardens in Australia
    • Blogs about Plants and Flowers
  • Contact
    • About Katherine Tyrrell
    • About Reviews
    • Privacy Policy