Botanical illustration

Botanical illustration has been around since humans have put paint and pencil to paper. However, the botanical illustration that we know today has its roots in the Renaissance, when physicians and other scientists shared their botanical knowledge through drawings and sketches. Many of these were bound together and kept in churches where they would serve as a local reference for medicinal uses. With the invention of the Gutenberg press in the 1400s, large-scale dissemination of information was available, and "herbals" (books containing names and descriptions of plants) became much more common. However, many of these herbals were copies of much earlier manuscripts, and were filled with mistakes. It was not until the early sixteenth century, when a larger number of scientists and naturalists studied live plants, that herbals contained more scientifically accurate drawings and information.

The mid sixteenth century was a time of great exploration and colonization, and naturalists brought back to Europe plants for medicinal, economic, and scientific uses. Many of these new and exotic plants were collected, and centres such as Kew Gardens became important research facilities for the study of botany. Because of the fragility of many of these specimens, artists often accompanied the naturalists on their missions to document the plants in their natural environment. Artists such as François André Michaux (1770-1855) illustrated the first comprehensive book on forest trees, The North American Sylva (1819) after three voyages in the United States

Artists such as François André Michaux (1770-1855) illustrated the first comprehensive book on forest trees, The North American Sylva (1819) after three voyages in the United States

The seventeenth century brought not only many cultural and political changes around the world, but also changes in botanical illustration. The focus shifted from a practical and medicinal one to an admiration of the beauty of rare and native plants from around the world. Artists such as Basil Besler, a German apothecary, produced numerous copper plate engravings which created clear, fluid, and stunning prints.

The Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus (1707-78) created and published the first system that classified plants according to their sexual systems, in Systema Naturae (1735). This simplified scientific dialogue about the numerous plants being identified. The blend of scientific and aesthetic interest gave way to a wave of beautiful and accurate prints. One of the more famous artists of this time is Pierre-Joseph Redouté, protegé of Queen Marie Antoinette and Empress Josephine, whose roses at Malmaison were documented in Les Roses.

From Les Roses, 1824 by Pierre-Joseph Redouté

In the nineteenth century, a large number of weeklies and magazines devoted to horticulture were printed. These popular publications were full of illustrations of rare and 'exotic' plants. Beginning in the early nineteenth century, seed catalogues included black and white, and later, colour illustrations. Unfortunately, many of these artists remain unknown.

I have mentioned quite a few male artists in this article. In reality. there were many female botanical illustrators who contributed to important scientific works, but who remained, until recently, fairly unacknowledged. Many magazines included the work of women, but rarely gave them credit. Often, critics would ignore female artists, remarking that the work was 'too good' to be done by a woman. Women artists include: Maria Merian (1647-1717), Ann Pratt (1806-93), Emma Homan Thayer (1842-1908), Margaret Mee (1909-88).

To learn more, check your local library as well as internet sites.

Please contact the OHS or the author if you wish to republish these articles. © Ottawa Horticultural Society

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