BOTANICAL ART & ARTISTS
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Book Review: Treasures of Botanical Art

by Shirley Sherwood and Martyn Rix
Picture

Treasures of Botanical Art: Icons from the Shirley Sherwood and Kew Collections
​

Synopsis

​This book was 
published as the catalogue of the inaugural exhibition of the The Shirley Sherwood Gallery in Kew Gardens, the first gallery in the world to be dedicated to year round exhibitions of botanical art.

​The book provides an overview of the richness and endurance of botanical art and the most significant artists from the 1600s through to contemporary artists.

See also: 
 Kew opens the world's first dedicated botanical art gallery
​
I highly recommend this book to any student of botanical art and/or aspiring collector of botanical art. I've got all the books written by Shirley Sherwood and although there is some duplication in relation to the best paintings, the fact remains they are all unique books and each adds value to our body of knowledge about botanical art. 
Katherine Tyrrell
Summary review: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

This is a good quality book which was very popular on publication. It will become a landmark publication over time.

It focuses on the traditional and contemporary botanical artworks in the very FIRST exhibition at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery in terms of their place in the history of botanical art and in relation to the plants they portray.

Images are largely organised according to themes (see below for contents under each heading)
  • The Age of Antiquity - covering the herbals and florilegia;
  • The Age of Discovery - which is pivotal to the collection amassed by Kew and
  • The Age of the Exotic - when amazing plants associated with the tropics were painted.
Paintings completed many years apart are presented side by side. Traditional representations can be compared to more contemporary botanical paintings.

​At the end of the book are biographies of all the artists - many of whom are very important - whose work is reproduced in the book. 
Highlights
  • Provides an overview of:
    • the origins, history and relevance of botanical illustration.
    • some of the most significant artists from the 1600s through to contemporary artists
  • includes works by some of the most highly regarded botanical artists of all time
  • extensively illustrated; features some 200 illustrations of paintings and drawings from both the Kew and Shirley Sherwood collections.
  • the colour reproduction of the drawings and paintings is excellent (I saw the exhibition on the opening day and went back and saw it again)
  • each illustration is annotated with particularly thorough captions, with artist's details, dimensions of the paintings, medium and material, and the nature of the plant shown.
  • informative essays on the origins, history and relevance of botanical illustration
  • selected bibliography is thorough
Think Again?
  • this is not a 'how to' book - its focus is not on how drawing or paintings were produced
  • indices for both plants and artists could be better.
Suitable for:
  • botanical artists
  • botanical art lovers
  • botanical art tutors
  • botanical art students
Picture
BUY in UK
Rated an average of 4.9 out of 5 stars by 10 customer reviews

Hardcover: 272 pages (also available as a paperback)
Publisher: Kew Publishing | 1st Edition edition (1 April 2008)
Treasures of Botanical Art: Icons from the Shirley Sherwood and Kew Collections (Royal Botanic Garden) from Amazon.co.uk
BUY in USA
Rated an average of 3.9 out of 5 stars by 3 reviews

Paperback: 272 pages (also available as a hardback) 
Publisher: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew | 1st Edition ( 1 Jan. 2008)
Treasures of Botanical Art: Icons from the Shirley Sherwood and Kew Collections from Amazon.com
Authors
​It is written by two experts in botanical art:
  • Dr Shirley Sherwood, (see Note 1) Founder of the Shirley Sherwood Collection and the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 
  • Martyn Rix, Editor of Curtis's Botanical Magazine published by Kew, which is the and the longest continuously running botanical periodical in the world

More about Treasures of Botanical Art
​

Overview

​​​Treasures of Botanical Art by Shirley Sherwood and Martyn Rix  was published by Kew Publishing to mark the inaugural exhibition of The Shirley Sherwood Gallery in Kew Gardens, the first gallery in the world to be dedicated to year round exhibitions of botanical art.

The book is extensively illustrated and features
  • some 200 illustrations of paintings and drawings from both the Kew and Shirley Sherwood collections. 
  • an overview of the most significant artists from the 1600s through to contemporary artists and
  • informative essays on the origins, history and relevance of botanical illustration with special reference to both the Kew and Shirley Sherwood collections. ​
It should be noted that the book tends to focus on the paintings and their place in history and in relation to the plants rather than the way in which they were produced in terms of drawing or paintings.

It also provides some background on each artist. (In other words, this is an 'art history' book and not a 'how to' book!)


As with the exhibition, the presentation of the images is largely organised according to themes and so paintings completed many years apart can be presented side by side.

CONTENTS

The age of antiquity
    Herbals and mandrakes
    Florilegia and the renaissance in northern Europe
    Hortus Eystettensis
    Striped tulips and double anemones
    Poppies
    Peonies
    Sunflowers and Compositae
    Thistles
The age of discovery
    Climbers
    Trees
    Oaks
    Magnolias
    Camellias
    Cherry blossom
    Rhododendrons
    Roses
    Cape heaths
    Proteas, Banksias and Proteaceae
    Melastomataceae
    Cacti
    Succulents
    Carnivorous plants
The age of the exotic
    Lilies
    Amaryllids
    South African Eucomis and Veltheimia
    Aroids
    Orchids
    Grass trees
    Doryanthes
    Strelitzia
    Bromeliads
    Pandans
    Palms
    Cycads
    Waterplants
    Tropical fruits
    Temperate fruits
    Ferns and club-mosses
    Mushrooms
    Finale

Biographies
Select Bibliography
Acknowledgements
Index
Featured Artists
  • some of the artists in history are featured in the review of the new gallery Kew opens the world's first dedicated botanical art gallery 
  • some of the contemporary artists who attracted my eye are featured in Treasures of Botanical Art - a recommended read
At the end of the book are biographies of all the artists whose work is reproduced in the book. I found it very interesting to read about some of the backgrounds of the different artists and to understand a bit more about their studies and how long they have been a botanical artist. There are also some interesting snippets by Dr Sherwood about the context for some of the paintings. One of the things I like about the book is the fact it's been written by two experts who know the work well!
Technical aspects

​Overall, the colour reproduction of the drawings and paintings I saw in the exhibition is excellent.

I also really liked the way each illustration is annotated with particularly thorough captions, with artist's details, dimensions of the paintings, medium and material, and the nature of the plant shown. 
​

It was interesting for me to note just how large some of the paintings are. Size is something which often can't be gauged from reproductions in books. If you read the book but didn't see the exhibition I recommend you pay attention to dimensions!
The selected bibliography is thorough but the indices for both plants and artists are less so. I actually found them to be less helpful than I would have liked. I've tried to look up the page reference for a few things and not found any listing at all in the relevant index

Note 1: Dr Shirley Sherwood has been collecting contemporary botanical drawings since 1990. Her comprehensive collection from over two hundred artists, living in thirty different countries documents the emergence of a new wave of botanical artists and the renaissance of their art form. She holds a number of distinguished posts with leading organisations in the horticulural and botanical art worlds. She has written several books on botanical art (see below)
Note 2: Kew Publishing is the publishing house of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It produces over 20 new titles each year and aims to inspire and educate people about our work and to make available Kew’s unique heritage and resources, knowledge and cutting edge expertise to as wide an audience as possible throughout the world.

​Note 3: This review was first published, in a different format, on
  • Making A Mark on 21 April 2008 - see Treasures of Botanical Art - a recommended read. This post also includes a review of the exhibition and some of the images of the work on display
  • Making A Mark Reviews on  8 December 2009 - see Book review: Treasures of Botanical Art

GO TO: The Best Books about Botanical Art History, Artists and Illustrators

GO TO: The Best Botanical Art Instruction Books

​
GO TO: The Best Botany Books for Botanical Artists and Illustrators
Resources about  Botanical Art and For Botanical Artists
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      • About Leonhart Fuchs
      • About Basilius Besler
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      • About Elizabeth Blackwell
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      • About Sydney Parkinson
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      • About Marianne North
    • Famous Asian Botanical Artists (600-1900)
    • 20th & 21st Century Botanical Artists >
      • About Arthur Harry Church
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      • Exhibit Titles at RHS Botanical Art Shows
      • RHS Portfolio Photography (Botanical / Horticultural)
    • Hunt International Exhibition of Botanical Art & Illustration
    • UK >
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      • Botanical Art Exhibitions at Major UK Galleries & Museums >
        • ARCHIVE: Major Gallery Exhibitions
        • ARCHIVE: Shirley Sherwood 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
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        • ARCHIVE: Scotland - Botanical Art Exhibitions
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      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in Australasia
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      • ARCHIVE: Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in Asia
    • Africa
    • ARCHIVE: World Wide Exhibition of Botanical Art 2018
  • Education
    • 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
      • NEW Books about Botanical Art & Illustration (2020)
      • NEW Books about Botanical Art & Illustration (2019)
      • NEW Books about Botanical Art & Illustration (2018)
    • 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
    • Diplomas and Certificates >
      • SBA Diploma Assignments
    • Distance Learning Courses
    • Talks, Lectures & Tours
    • Botanical Education on Facebook
    • Fellowships, Scholarships, Bursaries and Residencies
  • Materials
    • Paper
    • Vellum
  • Groups
    • National & Regional Botanical Art Societies
    • Florilegium Societies & Other Groups
    • 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
      • Botanic Gardens in the UK >
        • Old Botanic & Physic Gardens in London
      • Botanic Gardens in Ireland
      • Botanic Gardens in Europe
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