This page is for those who love reading about botanical art history.
It focuses on the best books about botanical art history and botanical artists and illustrators in general
It focuses on the best books about botanical art history and botanical artists and illustrators in general
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It lists and highlights books about:
When you buy a book using a link on this page,
you are helping to support Botanical Art and Artists. THANK YOU |
Links are included to other pages where art history books are located and/or books about the best botanical artists and illustrators are listed. The latter are split between:
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The Best Books about Botanical Artists & Illustrators
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If you want to know more about some of the important artists - in the past and present - who have created botanical art and illustration you will find the specific pages about famous botanical artists helpful.
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There are Detailed Book Reviews (dedicated page) for
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I have had a passion for botanical art for a very long time.
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As I grew up, I began to collect books about the very best botanical art.
I learned more, I got more interested, tried to see more, learned more, bought more books - and so it has been going now for some 40 odd years! On this website I'm sharing the best books about a number of different but very important botanical artists - who all excelled or made a mark on the world of botanical art. My collection of books is now split between
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Some of my books about Botanical Art
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Buying books via this website
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You'll notice two links next to most books after the suggested action of "BUY THIS BOOK".
The links are to the respective titles (which are sometimes slightly different) at:
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Why buy via this website?
Two reasons:
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Botanical Art History Books
The Classics
The major issue with "the Classics" is that they keep being republished - ostensibly as a new edition whereas in reality there is very little difference from the last edition - even if it's a considerable improvement on the first edition. I have however know new editions which are inferior in terms of quality of binding and colour reproduction - so it's often a good idea to see if you can check out an older version before you buy the newer one.
The Art of Botanical Illustration: An Illustrated History by Wilfrid Blunt and William T. Stearn
Cover of the 2015 version
Cover of the original 1950 edition
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I recommend you read my IN-DEPTH REVIEW OF THIS BOOK on a separate page on this website
Originally published in 1950 Revised and republished in 1994 Reprinted in 2000 Reprinted in 2015 This is a bible for botanical art enthusiasts. It's one of the most thorough accounts of the development of botanical art by one of the acknowledged experts. I've got copies of
The UK book is the new July 2015 reprint of the 1994 Antique Collectors edition in which the chapter on the botanical artists of the 20th century was greatly extended. BUY THIS BOOK
Average Customer Rating out of 5 stars:
The Art of Botanical Illustration
 from Amazon UK
The Art of Botanical Illustration: An Illustrated History
 from Amazon.com
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The Golden Age of Botanical Art
by Martyn Rix
Martyn Rix is a botanist, with a PhD in Botany from the University of Cambridge. He's also the Editor of Curtis's Botanical Magazine - of particular interest to those interested in botanical illustration - and is also the author or co-author of a number of books.
by Martyn Rix
Martyn Rix is a botanist, with a PhD in Botany from the University of Cambridge. He's also the Editor of Curtis's Botanical Magazine - of particular interest to those interested in botanical illustration - and is also the author or co-author of a number of books.
The Second Edition (2018)
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Welbeck Publishing Group ISBN: 9780233005423 Book Dimensions: 283 x 245 mm Date published: 8 March 2018 BUY THIS BOOK
Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars by 66 customer reviews (UK) However beware there are a number of reviews complaining about damaged or dirty copies. Do not hesitate to return for a refund if this happens to you |
First Edition
Hardcover: 256 pages
Product Dimensions: 25.1 x 2.8 x 28.9 cm ISBN: 978-0233003641 Publisher: Andre Deutsch Ltd Date published: 13 Sept. 2012 BUY THIS BOOK
Rated 5 out of 5 stars by 24 customer reviews (UK) Golden Age of Botanical Art
 from Amazon UKGolden Age of Botanical Art. Martyn Rix
 from Amazon.com |
Flora: An Artistic Voyage Through the World of Plants (2016) by Sandra Knapp
The book focuses on the various pictorial treatments of 20 types of plant over time - including cacti, daffodils, irises, magnolias, poppies, roses, tulips, and waterlilies.
I'm unclear whether this is a new print or a new edition of this book which was
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Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: The Natural History Museum (1 Sept. 2016) BUY in the UK
Flora: An Artistic Voyage Through the World of Plants 2016
 from Amazon UK
BUY in USA Flora: An Artistic Voyage Through the World of Plants 2016
 from Amazon.com |
Books about Past Masters of Botanical Art (600-1900)
More books about botanical art history are listed below - linked to the page on which they appear.
CLICK THE LINK in the title of the page to view the page.
CLICK THE LINK in the title of the page to view the page.
GO TO: Past Masters of Botanical Art & Illustration (1500-1900)
- Nature Illuminated: Flora and Fauna from the Court of Emperor Rudolf II - Getty Trust Publications: J. Paul Getty Museum)
- The Orchid Paintings of Franz Bauer
- Insects of Surinam - by Maria Sibylla Merian
- 300 Years of Botanical Illustration by Helen Hewson
- Women Of Flowers - Botanical Art In Australia From The 1830s to the 1960s - by Leonie Norton
GO TO: Famous Asian Botanical Artists 600-1900
- Chinese Art and the Reeves Collection: Images of Nature - by Judith Magee
- Indian Botanical Drawings 1793-1868 from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh - by Henry J. Noltie
- Dapuri Drawings: Alexander Gibson & the Bombay Botanic Gardens - by Henry J. Noltie
- Robert Wight and the Botanical Drawings of Rungiah and Govindoo - by Henry J. Noltie
Botanical Sketchbooks by Helen and William Bynum
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: This book is about botanical sketchbooks which were created to record the natural world - between the 16th and 20th centuries. It attracted a lot of glowing reviews when published.
This book was published almost simultaneously in the UK and USA - hence the two different covers below and the two different publishers. The standard of publishing is absolutely first rate. (My copy is the Princeton edition)
- the contents provide a real insight into the firsthand experiences and adventures of the botanists, artists, collectors, and explorers behind them.
- It's a unique book which all botanical art enthusiasts will treasure.
- It's also a very special gift for a botanical artist or for a person who enjoys botanical art.
This book was published almost simultaneously in the UK and USA - hence the two different covers below and the two different publishers. The standard of publishing is absolutely first rate. (My copy is the Princeton edition)
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What's unique about this book is that it provides an insight into the working methods and sketchbooks kept by various different important and/or famous names in botanical art - as well as a few who are less well known - what they recorded and how they chose to make and annotate their records.
It's an amazing collection of colour images - many of which have never been seen before - because they are in sketchbooks |
Hardcover: 296 pages
Publisher: Thames and Hudson Ltd; Publication date (1st edition): 13 April 2017 RECOMMENDED UK: rated an average 5 out of 5* by 4 customer reviews BUY IN THE UK Botanical Sketchbooks
from Amazon.co.uk |
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The sketchbooks cover:
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Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Princeton Architectural Press Publication date: May 9, 2017 Language: English Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 1.4 x 10.9 inches RECOMMENDED USA: rated an average 4.8 out of 5* by 13 customer reviews BUY IN THE USA Botanical Sketchbooks
from Amazon.com |
You can also find MORE books about
famous, specific and outstanding botanical artists and illustrators (600-1900)
on the pages dedicated to individual pages about specific artists ( see below)
More will have their own pages very soon!
famous, specific and outstanding botanical artists and illustrators (600-1900)
on the pages dedicated to individual pages about specific artists ( see below)
More will have their own pages very soon!
Leonhart Fuchs (1501-1566)
Basilius Besler (1561-1629)
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
Elizabeth Blackwell (1707-1758)
Georg Dionysius Ehret (1708-1770)
Sydney Parkinson (1745-1771)
Marianne North (1830-1890)
- Leonhart Fuchs: The New Herbal of 1543 - by Leonhart Fuchs (Author)
Basilius Besler (1561-1629)
- Basilius Besler's Florilegium. The Book of Plants
Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)
- Chrysalis: Maria Sibylla Merian and the Secrets of Metamorphosis - by Kim Todd
- Maria Sibylla Merian: Insects of Surinam - by: Katharina Schmidt-Loske
- Maria Sibylla Merian and Daughters: Women of Art and Science - by Ella Reitsma
- Flowers, Butterflies and Insects: All 154 Engravings from "Erucarum Ortus"
Elizabeth Blackwell (1707-1758)
- online editions of "A Curious Herbal"
Georg Dionysius Ehret (1708-1770)
- Ehret: Flower Painter Extraordinary by Gerta Calmann
- Draughtsmen, Botanists and Nature: The Construction of Eighteenth-Century Botanical Illustrations by Kärin Nickelsen
- Ehret's Flowering Plants (Victoria and Albert Natural History Illustrators) by Gill Saunders
Sydney Parkinson (1745-1771)
- Curtis's Botanical Magazine Volume 14 part 2 - includes 'Recording Colour in Late Eighteenth Century Botanical Drawings - Sydney Parkinson, Ferdinand Bauer & Thaddaeus Haenke. by H. Walter Lack
Marianne North (1830-1890)
- Marianne North: A Very Intrepid Painter (second Edition) by Michelle Payne
- Marianne North at Kew Gardens by Laura Ponsonby
The Best Books about Herbals and Florilegium
Illustrated records of plants and flowers were first made in books called Herbals. These were used by doctors as inventories for medicating patients - and early botanical illustration focused on enabling the accurate identification of plants for medicinal purposes
A Florilegium provides an illustrated record of all the plants found in one place such as a garden
A Florilegium provides an illustrated record of all the plants found in one place such as a garden
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See the following pages for more books about:
Herbals
Florilegium and Flora
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Contemporary Classics - books associated with Shirley Sherwood
Dr Shirley Sherwood has been a key player in the major resurgence of interest in botanical art recent years. This interest has in no small way been due to the exhibitions and associated books she has written relating to botanical art and illustrators - from past and present.
This next section focuses on work has featured in major exhibitions of botanical art and associated catalogues and compendia about contemporary botanical art published in the 21st century.
One of the very interesting aspects of botanical artists in the last 100 years is the extent to which they have looked back to the traditions of botanical art and the masters of the past - and, at the same time, created innovations of their own. Also the extent to which some contemporary artists rival the best from the past.
This next section focuses on work has featured in major exhibitions of botanical art and associated catalogues and compendia about contemporary botanical art published in the 21st century.
One of the very interesting aspects of botanical artists in the last 100 years is the extent to which they have looked back to the traditions of botanical art and the masters of the past - and, at the same time, created innovations of their own. Also the extent to which some contemporary artists rival the best from the past.
Treasures of Botanical Art: Icons from the Shirley Sherwood and Kew Collections
by Shirley Sherwood and Martyn Rix
by Shirley Sherwood and Martyn Rix
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This book was produced for the very first exhibition at the opening of the Shirley Sherwood Gallery - and is full of treasures from both the Sherwood and Kew Collections. I bought mine on the first day the gallery opened.
Hardcover: 272 pages
Publisher: Kew Publishing (1 April 2008) BUY THIS BOOK |
from Amazon UK
from Amazon.comA New Flowering: 1000 Years of Botanical Art by Shirley Sherwood
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The cover of the book is a painting of Australian Tree Fern, (2004) by Stephanie Berni (The Shirley Sherwood Collection) The hardback is now out of print and new copies of the original print sell for a LOT of money Paperback: 200 pages Publisher: Ashmolean Museum; Reprint edition: 19 May 2014 BUY THIS BOOK A New Flowering: 1000 Years of Botanical Art
from Amazon UKNew Flowering: 1000 Years of Botanical Art
 from Amazon.com |
A Passion for Plants: Contemporary Botanical Masterworks By Shirley Sherwood
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The cover of the book is a painting of: Cycad: Male Cones of Encephalatos woodii (1999) by Leslie C. Berge. Watercolour on paper 570mm x 670mm (The Shirley Sherwood Collection)
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson (11 July 2002) BUY THIS BOOK A Passion For Plants: Contemporary Botanical Masterworks
from Amazon UKA Passion for Plants: Contemporary Botanical Masterworks
 from Amazon.com |
Contemporary Botanical Artists: The Shirley Sherwood Collection by Shirley Sherwood
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Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicholson first edition (April 1, 2003) This book is now no longer in print and is quite difficult to get hold of. Hardback copies can now fetch over £100. Contemporary Botanical Artists: The Shirley Sherwood Collection
 from Amazon.com |
from Amazon UKBooks about Past Masters of Botanical Art (1900 - 2010)
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You can find books about famous, specific and outstanding botanical artists and illustrators (1900-2010) on the following pages about:
More will be added in due course.
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The cover of my vintage copy of "Old Carnations and Pinks" by C.O. Moreton ​with illustrations by Rory McEwen - bought second-hand on the internet
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20th Century Botanical Artists
Arthur Harry Church
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Margaret Mee
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Rory McEwen
- Old Carnations and Pinks - by C.O. Moreton with illustrations by Rory McEwen
- The Auricula : its history and character - by C. Oscar Moreton with illustrations by Rory McEwen
- Tulips & tulipomania - by Wilfrid Blunt, 1901-1987
with sixteen plates from paintings by Rory McEwen. - Rory McEwen: The Botanical Paintings - by Caroline Cuthbert (Editor), Rory McEwen (Illustrator)
- Rory McEwen: The Colours of Reality - by Martyn Rix
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Botanical Photographers
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How botanical art books were produced
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Botanical books initially tended to be produced in limited quantities once images were introduced. This is because it's a great deal more difficult to print images than it is to print text.
The images of a lot of the botanical art we see in books is actually the engraving version of the original painting. |
REFERENCE
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Botanical Art Book Collections
I'm going to compile a list of places where you can find botanical art book collections.
- Getty Institute | The Tania Norris Collection of Rare Botanical Books and Woodblocks - "provides unparalleled insight into the impact of natural science on visual arts in Europe from the 16th through the 19th century". The collection was assembled over some 30 years and gifted to the Getty Research Institute
- Missouri Botanical Library - Rare Books from the MBG - no longer updated but a good place to review books
- Missouri Botanical Library - Botanicus
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