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The Beauty of the Flower

The Art and Science of Botanical Illustration

Stephen A Harris

Description

In a world flooded with images designed to create memories, validate perceptions and influence others, botanical illustration is about something much more focused: creating technically accurate depictions of plants. Reproductions of centuries-old botanical illustrations frequently adorn greeting cards, pottery and advertising, to promote heritage or generate income, yet their art is scientific: intended to record, display and transmit scientific data.

The Beauty of the Flower tells the backstory of these images, showing us how scientific botanical illustrations are collaborations among artists, scientists and publishers. It explores the evolution and interchanges of these illustrations since the mid-fifteenth century, how they have been used to communicate scientific ideas about plants and how views of botanical imagery change.

Featuring unique images rarely seen outside of specialist literature, this book reveals the fascinating stories behind these remarkable illustrations.