The UK has a number of major Art Galleries, Museums and Botanical Gardens,
which hold botanical art exhibitions and have permanent collections of botanical art and illustration
which hold botanical art exhibitions and have permanent collections of botanical art and illustration
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This page has details about botanical art EXHIBITIONS at:
The Permanent Collections (UK) Page has information about botanical art and illustration in public and private collections |
I would advocate the holding of small exhibitions, changed every six months, of fine illustrated botanical books and original drawings. It ought not to be too difficult to find space in one of the museums in Kew Gardens; and the Natural History Museum has the materials for something even more impressive on similar lines |
Banner: Modern Masterpieces of Botanical Art at the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at Kew Gardens (16 November 2019 – 15 March 2020)
NATIONAL BOTANICAL COLLECTIONS
Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art
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Address: Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art is located in the grounds of the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew.
It is the first art gallery in the world DEDICATED to botanical art. The Shirley Sherwood Gallery celebrated its 10th anniversary in April 2018 and the 1,000,000 visitor arrived in the summer of 2018. Current or upcoming exhibitions are listed below. Past exhibitions are listed in the archive (see box) Hours: The gallery opens at 10am each day and admission closes at least 30 minutes before the closure of the garden. Details on the opening and closing times page. |
The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Contemporary Botanical Art celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2018 - and welcomes its 1,000,000th visitor too!
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Botanical Art Exhibitions at Kew in 2023-24
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Plants of the Qur’ān
1 April to 17 September 2023 (Galleries 1-2) The exhibition provides the world-premiere for a suite of 30 brand-new botanical paintings by artist Sue Wickison of plants identified in the Qur'an. These are now on display together for the first time at Kew. The exhibition showcases paintings from the book "Plants of the Qur’ān: History & Culture." that combines the skills of
The book will be published in June 2023 and is available to pre-order |
Sue Wickison with two of her paintings
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The wonderful world of water plants
1 April to 17 September 2023 (Galleries 5-6) Celebrate the beauty and biodiversity of water plants through the unique lens of botanical art. The exhibition highlights paintings and scientific illustrations by Lucy T Smith from her Victoria Waterlilies project and include botanical illustrations of the record-breaking Victoria boliviana named new to science in 2022. (see A NEW Giant Water Lily - discovered and illustrated by Lucy Smith) |
Lucy Smith with Shirley Sherwood and her painting of the underneath of a giant waterlily leaf at Kew - now part of Dr Sherwood's collection
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All the flowers are for me
Gallery 4 Experience two spectacular sculptural works by award-winning artist Anila Quayyum Agha, exhibiting in the UK for the first time. |
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Mat Colishaw
Saturday 14 October 2023- Sunday 14 April 2024
The exhibition of Mat Colishaw's artwork will showcase new commissions alongside existing works, drawing on an array of evocative imagery from the natural world. This exhibition will also encompass sculptural installations, using a variety of pioneering techniques to explore the relationship between the natural world, art history, and how representations of nature in art can impact the way in which we see the world around us.
Saturday 14 October 2023- Sunday 14 April 2024
The exhibition of Mat Colishaw's artwork will showcase new commissions alongside existing works, drawing on an array of evocative imagery from the natural world. This exhibition will also encompass sculptural installations, using a variety of pioneering techniques to explore the relationship between the natural world, art history, and how representations of nature in art can impact the way in which we see the world around us.
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Young Botanical Artist Competition (Gallery 6)
The Young Botanical Artist Competition is a collaboration between Dr Shirley Sherwood and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Open to artists aged 16-25, the inaugural competition invited entrants to submit a 2D botanical artwork on the subject of TREES. This could depict something as large as the entire tree or as small as a leaf bud. Artists could also choose a fruit, a decaying leaf, a branch, the moss-coated trunk or any other element provided it relates to trees. This exhibition displays all 40 shortlisted artworks and highlights the winning entries from the finalists selected by leading botanical artists and Dr Shirley Sherwood OBE. |
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The Shirley Sherwood Gallery Exhibition Archive Page includes:
- A short bio of Dr. Shirley Sherwood
- a summary of PAST EXHIBITIONS at the Gallery (2008-2022) This includes links to reviews and images of the exhibitions.
Images of Nature Gallery | Natural History Museum, South Kensington
Address: Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD
The Museum has a modern botanical illustration collection
The Images of Nature Gallery explores how artists and scientists view the natural world through historic prints, watercolours and modern images. It has a temporary themed exhibition each year. There are usually four rotations of artworks and illustrations during the course of the exhibition. It's a little difficult to find - until you know where it is - see below.
NOTE: You don't need to pre-book to visit the Images of Nature gallery.
The Museum has a modern botanical illustration collection
The Images of Nature Gallery explores how artists and scientists view the natural world through historic prints, watercolours and modern images. It has a temporary themed exhibition each year. There are usually four rotations of artworks and illustrations during the course of the exhibition. It's a little difficult to find - until you know where it is - see below.
NOTE: You don't need to pre-book to visit the Images of Nature gallery.
The Images of Nature gallery is in the Blue Zone on the Ground Floor next to Hintze Hall.
Botanical artwork on display in the Images of Nature Gallery at the Natural History Museum
Online Displays
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Botanical art and illustrations from HMS Endeavour
The Natural History Museum holds all of the surviving botanical artwork from Captain James Cook's first Pacific voyage. The scale of discoveries recorded by the natural history illustrators on board set a precedent for including artists on future voyages. You can explore the collection by
Explore original botanical drawings and engravings prepared by Sydney Parkinson aboard the Endeavour, as well as those completed after his death by artists back in England. |
You can find out more about Sydney Parkinson on my dedicated page About Sydney Parkinson (1745-1771)
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The Bauer brothers collection
Franz (1758–1840) and Ferdinand (1760–1826) Bauer excelled in learning the principles of botanical illustration according to the Linnaean system of classification. This technique typically depicts the entire plant in flower, but separately represents the bud and fruit, often dissected to show the internal structure. |
The NHM has pages online dedicated to:
You can find out more about Franz Bauer on my dedicated page About Francis (Franz) Bauer (1758 - 1840) |
The Modern Botanical Illustration Collection
The Library's modern botanical illustration collection is continually growing, as contemporary additions from the finest modern botanical artists complement the historical collection. Recent donations include works by Norma Gregory, Jessica Tcherepnine and Jean Webb sit alongside illustrations by artists such as Margaret Stones, Stella Ross-Craig, Claire Dalby and Olga Makrushenko.
A regular exhibition rotates in the Images of Nature Gallery- see this 2014 blog post Images of Nature Gallery: Women artists - another new selection of artworks Posted by Andrea Hart Dec 10, 2014
The Library's modern botanical illustration collection is continually growing, as contemporary additions from the finest modern botanical artists complement the historical collection. Recent donations include works by Norma Gregory, Jessica Tcherepnine and Jean Webb sit alongside illustrations by artists such as Margaret Stones, Stella Ross-Craig, Claire Dalby and Olga Makrushenko.
A regular exhibition rotates in the Images of Nature Gallery- see this 2014 blog post Images of Nature Gallery: Women artists - another new selection of artworks Posted by Andrea Hart Dec 10, 2014
Images of Nature: Women Artists
by Andrea Hart
by Andrea Hart
The book features specially selected artworks about nature by women from the seventeenth century onwards.
Most of the illustrations are of plants - but it also includes drawing and paintings of animals, birds and fish. These are prefaced by an essay discussing the development of scientific botanical illustration and the role of women artists in its history.
Most of the illustrations are of plants - but it also includes drawing and paintings of animals, birds and fish. These are prefaced by an essay discussing the development of scientific botanical illustration and the role of women artists in its history.
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Most of the Botanical Artists and Illustrators included in the book are not well known names. Those perhaps better known whose work is included in the book include:
Format/Pages: Paperback (112 pages) Publisher: Natural History Museum Publication date: 2014 BUY THIS BOOK Women Artists: Images of Nature
 from Amazon UKWomen Artists: Images of Nature
 from Amazon.com |
Exhibitions in 2021
The Artistic Legacy of Joseph Banks
- Display one: 17 May - 17 September 2021 - including Artworks by Franz Bauer: Exquisite artworks by the master of scientific botanical illustration, Franz Bauer (1758-1840).
- Display two: 18 September 2021 - 13 January 2022 - including Artworks by Johann Jacob Dillenius - Early eighteenth-century depictions of plants by Johann Jacob Dillenius (1687-1747).
HORTICULTURAL ORGANISATIONS
Royal Horticultural Society | London Botanical Art & Photography Show
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The RHS London Botanical Art & Photography Show 2023
Venue: Saatchi Gallery Dates: 16 June – 9 July 2023 New work from leading botanical artists and photographers are showcased across three galleries. The scientific accuracy, technical skill and aesthetic appeal of the work are reviewed by an expert judging panel prior to the show opening, with artists and photographers awarded RHS Gold, Silver-Gilt, Silver, and Bronze medals, as well as a series of special awards including ‘Best Botanical Art Exhibit’ and ‘Judge’s Special Award’. |
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In 2023, a diverse range of subjects will be presented by participants from around the world. Artists depict plants of ecological importance including:
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The RHS Lindley Library + RHS Gardens / Libraries
The RHS Lindley Library is open again - but has some constraints in place for visitors
NEW DIGITAL EXHIBITIONS have been introduced as a substitute for the exhibitions which would have been held in the Library.
NEW DIGITAL EXHIBITIONS have been introduced as a substitute for the exhibitions which would have been held in the Library.
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The Lindley Library only offers a small space - but it holds regular exhibitions of botanical art, some of which then tour the country to appropriate venues - including displays within the gardens - at the RHS Gardens around the country.
It also has talks and tours about its Botanical Art Collection. RHS Lindley Library also offers researcher appointments on a pre-booked basis, two days every week. |
Address: 80 Vincent Square, LONDON SW1P 2PE
Find out more about RHS Libraries exhibitions and events |
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The RHS Wisley Library
Address: RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening science - the first dedicated horticultural scientific centre of excellence READ MORE about the new library Days/Times: open daily, 10am to 4pm. |
The RHS Harlow Carr Library
Address: Bramall Learning Centre, RHS Harlow Carr, Harrogate Days/Times: Monday to Friday, 11am to 4pm |
Botanical Art Exhibitions organised by RHS Libraries in 2021
DIGITAL EXHIBITIONS ONLINE
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Healing Garden - Curative Powers of Common Plants | DIGITAL EXHIBITION ONLINE
This is a past exhibition which has been made available as a digital exhibition This exhibition reveals some of the fascinating histories that are hidden in plain sight in our own back gardens. Focusing on popular herbs and flowers, it will look at how our understanding of these plants has changed over time and investigate their use for healing today. |
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Portrait from Nature | DIGITAL EXHIBITION ONLINE
September 2nd - December 21st 2021 An online exhibition which explores nature printing. This fascinating printing technique uses pressed plants to recreate an image of the plant on the page. The exhibitions
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Nature print of inula flower from Ectypa vegetabilium by Christian Gottlieb Ludwig (Halle/Leipzig, 1760). RHS Lindley Collections.
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Worth a Thousand Words | DIGITAL EXHIBITION ONLINE
Gold Standard Botanical Art This is a digital version of the exhibition held in the RHS Lindley Library in 2019. The paintings are all those who have won RHS Gold Medals for their Botanical Art - and had their artwork added to the Lindley Library Collection Botanical artists from all over the world compete to win a prestigious Gold Medal at RHS Shows. This display of artworks, collected over the past 20 years, demonstrates how artists have used a variety of media and techniques to capture the essence of plants in exquisite detail. |
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Botanical Illustration from the Royal Horticultural Society: The Gold Medal Winners
by Charlotte Brooks
by Charlotte Brooks
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: For all botanical artists aspiring to enter the RHS Botanical Art Exhibition and win a Gold Medal - and for all botanical art lovers everywhere. This book makes a major contribution to both
- the recording of contemporary botanical art
- learning about how to produce top quality botanical art.
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The book comprises:
The introductory essay by Charlotte Brooks is very interesting. It introduces the RHS Collection of Botanical Illustrations and its history - and how the RHS related to botanical illustrators in the past and present. I knew some of it but not all. |
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: ACC Art Books Publication date: 26 Jun. 2019 e-Book edition: none identified All images are of illustrations added to the RHS Lindley Collection BUY THIS BOOK |
from Amazon UK
from Amazon.comBotanical Talks & Tours in 2020
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Library Tour: The Art of the Orchid
Venue: Lindley Library (next to the Lindley Hall) Dates: 7–8 April 2020 Hours: 1pm–2pm and 3pm–4pm on both days FREE with the RHS Spring Launch and Orchid Show - but places are limited. Book on the day at the Lindley Library show stall in the Lindley Hall. POSTPONED A special behind the scenes tours of its spectacular collection of orchid-inspired artworks. Tours will include a curator’s introduction to our Enduring Beauty display of RHS orchid portraits. |
Library Tour: Botanical Art at the RHS
Venue: Lindley Library (next to the Lindley Hall) Dates: Friday 17th and Saturday 18th April 2020 Hours: 1pm–2pm and 3pm–4pm on both days FREE with a show ticket for the RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show - but places are limited. Book on the day at the Lindley Library show stall in the Lindley Hall. POSTPONED A special behind the scenes tours of its remarkable collection of historic and contemporary botanical art. Tours will include a curator’s introduction to our Enduring Beauty display of RHS orchid portraits. |
The Garden Museum, Lambeth
The Garden Museum reopened in 2017 after a £7.5 million restoration project. It's held on botanical art exhibition to date (see archive) and can be expected to do so again in future.
OPEN - but Visitor numbers inside Exhibitions are limited for reasons of social distancing, so you must book a half-hour slot.
OPEN - but Visitor numbers inside Exhibitions are limited for reasons of social distancing, so you must book a half-hour slot.
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HISTORY: The Garden Museum, housed in the ancient church of St Mary at Lambeth is also the burial place of John Tradescant (c1570 – 1638), the first great gardener and plant-hunter in British history. His tomb is the centrepiece of a knot garden planted with the flowers which grew in his London garden four centuries ago.
Garden Museum Reference: The Tradescants 
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Portrait of John Tradescant the elder, attributed to Cornelis de Neve
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Botanical Art Exhibitions in 2021
Garden Museum Exhibitions tend to focus more on gardening than botanical art - and can feature botanical artists and flower painters who were avid gardeners and plants people. They are often of interest to botanical artists and include artists who created botanical paintings as well as paintings of gardeners.
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Raymond Booth
1 December 2021 - 6 February 2022 Living in suburban Yorkshire, Raymond Booth (1929-2015) spent his time growing unusual plants in his numerous greenhouses, cold frames, the family conservatory and modest gardens. Having won a scholarship to Leeds College of Art at the age of sixteen he spent a lifetime painting plants. He studied their native habitats and corresponded with plant collectors and breeders developing a deep understanding of the exotic plants he nurtured. From his garden he earned a reputation as one of the greatest botanical painters of his generation, with a beautiful honesty to his work. This is a selling exhibition and The income from this selling exhibition will be shared between the Museum’s education programmes and the nature charities Booth to which charities he bequeathed his estate: the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Woodland Trust and Plantlife International.
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Campanula by Raymond Booth
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Elizabeth Blackadder: Favourite Flowers
19 October - 21 November 2021 Dame Elizabeth Blackadder was one of Scotland’s greatest artists, celebrated for her beguiling and lyrical paintings of flowers. This exhibition, curated with The Scottish Gallery, brings together a selection of watercolours, etchings and screenprints from throughout her life in the theme of growth, looking ahead to the renewal of life that is always around the corner in the garden. A passionate plantswoman, Blackadder’s garden provided her with rich inspiration year-round, from daffodils to autumn leaves, tulips, iris and lilies. |
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ROYAL COLLECTIONS
The Queen's Gallery
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REOPENED: Exhibitions are held at The Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Holyrood.
The Queens Gallery periodically displays botanical paintings which form part of the Royal Collection. |
See Past Botanical Art Exhibitions in the UK for exhibitions which have included the paintings by Maria Sibylla Merian acquired by King George III
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UNIVERSITIES
The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge University
The Fitzwilliam Museum has an important collection of Botanical Art due to the bequest of Henry Rogers Broughton, 2nd Lord Fairhaven, who donated his entire collection to the Museum in 1973. (See Permanent Collections) Every three years, as part of the terms of the bequest, the Fitzwilliam puts on an exhibition of botanical watercolours.
REOPENED - Coronavirus Pandemic Guidance - you need to book a free, timed ticket in advance.
REOPENED - Coronavirus Pandemic Guidance - you need to book a free, timed ticket in advance.
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Scent from Nature: Beauty's Botanical Origins
to Sunday 31st October 2021 Booking required / Free Entry The exhibition includes botanical watercolours of plants, from the permanent collection. It focuses on those used in the scent industry. These are displayed displayed alongside perfume vessels from ancient times to the 20th century. Works include those by:
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The Ashmolean / Bodleian, Oxford University
The Ashmolean periodically has exhibitions of botanical art. See also Permanent Collections.
REOPENED 10 August 2020 - Coronavirus Pandemic Guidance
REOPENED 10 August 2020 - Coronavirus Pandemic Guidance
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GO TO EXHIBITIONS IN THE UK
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