NEW PAGE: About Georg Dionysius Ehret

I've been working on my page About Georg Dionysius Ehret for some time.  In fact some of you have found it even though I haven't announced it until today!

It wasn't so much a question as transferring existing content from its previous incarnation to this website so much as improving on the content. In particular, I've been working on the timeline/biography (so it's an easier read) and improving some of the images and the narrative about some of the publications he worked on.

It's certainly the case that I now understand Georg Ehret much better than ever before!

Table XXII in "Plantae selectae quarum imagines ad exemplaria naturalia Londini, in hortis curiosorum nutrita"

In summary:

• Georg Ehret is one of the most famous botanical artists of all time. He was probably the leading botanical artist in the middle of the 18th century.
• He was born in Heidelberg , Germany in 1708 and died in Chelsea in London in 1770
• His first employment was as a gardener. However his interest in drawing plants led him to study and draw as much as he could - around Europe - and subsequently he became a botanical artist.
• In 1735, he also visited England for the first time and encountered Phillip Miller and the Chelsea Physic Garden.
• He was also a life long friend of Linnaeus having first worked with him in Holland in 1736.
• Importantly Ehret helped Linnaeus document the systematic differences between plants. for his publications and created the Linnean style of illustration.

The signboard “Methodus Plantarum Sexualis in sistemate naturae descripta” (Leiden 1736)

Ehret's Table of Plant Characteristics in the Age of Enlightenment Gallery in the British Museum

• In 1736, Ehret moved to England because at the time England had lots of great gardens with a wide range of plants which he wanted to draw!
• He became much sought after as a botanical artist and documented a number of unusual plants and magnificent specimens. For example, the banner at the top of my Botanical Art and Artists Facebook page contains his drawing of a tuliptree (a magnolia) at Parsons Green in Fulham 

Magnolia described as the laurel leaved Tulip Tree by Georg Ehret

The page contains images and links to more information about 

• Timeline / Biography - details of his life and career development
• His drawings, paintings and engravings - a flavour of his artwork 
• A commentary on his artistic practices and preferred media
• Collections - links to where you can see the original artwork in collections - and also online. His work is now in many of the premier art collections - Natural History Museum, Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, the Lindley Library of the Royal Horticultural Society, the Royal Collection and the Hunt Institute of Botanical Documentation. 
• More information - links to books and websites where you can find out more about him

If anybody's got a useful link that's worth sharing with others I'll be pleased to add it it in to this new page about one of the most famous botanical artists of all time.