The Golden Age of Flowers
Botanical Illustration in the Age of Discovery 1600-1800
Distributed for British Library
144 pages
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100 color plates
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8 3/4 x 9 1/2
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© 2011
The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries witnessed a surge in the study of and interest in botanicals that led to some of the greatest books of plant illustration ever made, including such outstanding examples as the Hortus Eystettensis, work by Maria Sibylla Merian, Thornton’s Temple of Flora, Banks’s Florilegium, and Sibthorp’s Flora Graeca. Culled from these masterpieces of botanical art, this lavishly illustrated new book reproduces one hundred of the most beautiful flower images from this period.
As Celia Fisher explains, during this time several developments took place that led to a significant increase in the popularity and output of botanical illustration, including the revolution created by the advancement of metal engraving, the development of the new Linnaean system for classifying types of plants, and the epic voyages of discovery that recorded and collected the exotic plants encountered in remote, uncharted lands. The historical illustrations presented here are arranged in alphabetical order by flower with an accompanying text that outlines their geographic and botanical origins, the derivation of their names, and the properties for which they were most valued.
This beautiful and informative book will appeal to gardeners and flower lovers as well as readers interested in the history of botany and illustration.
Anna Pavord | Independent (UK)
“Using images from some of the most celebrated botanical works in the British Library, Fisher arranges a vivid alphabet of flowers. She starts with an alstroemeria by the great French artist Redoute (his Les Liliacees was first published in Paris at the beginning of the 19th century) and finishes with zinnias, which arrived in Europe from Mexico in 1753.”
Helen Asherton | Reference Reviews
“This book is really beautiful and anyone interested in art, gardening or serious botany will enjoy turning the pages.”
Bill Spence | York Press
“A feast for the eyes, informing us of the great plant collectors and their patrons.”
Yorkshire Gazette and Herald
“This book is simply beautiful and anyone interested in art, gardening, or serious botany will love it.”
Contents
Author's note
Introduction
The Plants
Acacia
Agapanthus
Aloe
Alstroemeria
Amaryllis
Anemone
Arctotis
Argemone
Arum
Aster
Auricula
Babiana
Banksia
Bombax
Bromeliad
Cactus
Caesalpinia
Calceolaria
Callistemon
Callistephus
Calycanthus
Camellia
Campsis
Canarina
Canna
Cercis
Cerinthe
Chimonanthus
Chrysanthemum
Clematis
Cornus
Cirnum
Curcuma
Cymbidium
Cypripedium
Datura
Dianthus
Digitalis
Dillenia
Dodecatheon
Eichhornia
Erica
Erythrina
Eucalyptus
Eucomis
Euphorbia
Fritillaria
Fuchsia
Gardenia
Gladiolus
Glaucium
Gloriosa
Gossypium
Grevillea
Haemanthus
Hamamelis
Hedychium
Heliconia
Helleborus
Hermodactylus
Hibiscus
Ipomoea
Iris
Kalmia
Kniphofia
Lathyrus
Lavendula
Lilium
Liriodendron
Magnolia
Monarda
Narcissus
Nelumbo
Nepenthes
Nerine
Nerium
Nymphaea
Opuntia
Paeonia
Papaver
Passiflora
Pelargonium
Phaius
Phlox
Plumeria
Prosthechea
Protea
Rhododendron
Rose
Rudbeckia
Sarracenia
Selenicereus
Sprekelia
Stapelia
Strelitzia
Teleopea
Tropaeolum
Tulip
Vanda
Zantedeschia
Zinnia
Index
Further Reading
Introduction
The Plants
Acacia
Agapanthus
Aloe
Alstroemeria
Amaryllis
Anemone
Arctotis
Argemone
Arum
Aster
Auricula
Babiana
Banksia
Bombax
Bromeliad
Cactus
Caesalpinia
Calceolaria
Callistemon
Callistephus
Calycanthus
Camellia
Campsis
Canarina
Canna
Cercis
Cerinthe
Chimonanthus
Chrysanthemum
Clematis
Cornus
Cirnum
Curcuma
Cymbidium
Cypripedium
Datura
Dianthus
Digitalis
Dillenia
Dodecatheon
Eichhornia
Erica
Erythrina
Eucalyptus
Eucomis
Euphorbia
Fritillaria
Fuchsia
Gardenia
Gladiolus
Glaucium
Gloriosa
Gossypium
Grevillea
Haemanthus
Hamamelis
Hedychium
Heliconia
Helleborus
Hermodactylus
Hibiscus
Ipomoea
Iris
Kalmia
Kniphofia
Lathyrus
Lavendula
Lilium
Liriodendron
Magnolia
Monarda
Narcissus
Nelumbo
Nepenthes
Nerine
Nerium
Nymphaea
Opuntia
Paeonia
Papaver
Passiflora
Pelargonium
Phaius
Phlox
Plumeria
Prosthechea
Protea
Rhododendron
Rose
Rudbeckia
Sarracenia
Selenicereus
Sprekelia
Stapelia
Strelitzia
Teleopea
Tropaeolum
Tulip
Vanda
Zantedeschia
Zinnia
Index
Further Reading
For more information, or to order this book, please visit http://www.press.uchicago.edu
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Biological Sciences: Botany
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