Art Gardens

The renowned LuEsther T. Mertz Library of the New York Botanical Garden contains many of the most beautiful and pioneering botanical and horticultural works ever created. More than eight centuries of knowledge, from the twelfth century to the present, are represented in the library’s collection of over one million items. In this lavishly illustrated volume, international experts introduce us to some of the library’s exceedingly rare books, stunning botanical artworks, handwritten manuscripts, Renaissance herbals, nursery catalogs, explorers’ notebooks, and more. The contributors hold these treasures up for close inspection and offer surprising insights into their histories and importance. The diverse materials showcased in the volume reflect the creative efforts of eminent explorers, scientists, artists, publishers, and print makers. From the rare, illuminated pages of Pliny the Elder’s “Naturalis historia “(1483), to the earliest book ever published on American insects (1797), to lovely etchings of the water gardens at Villa Pratolino in Florence (1600s), the Mertz Library holdings will inspire in readers a new appreciation for the extraordinary history of botany and its far-reaching connections to the worlds of science, books, art, and culture.

Very little is known about the Green Florilegium. Neither signed nor dated, it is generally attributed to the German painter Hans Simon Holtzbecker and originates from the library at Gottorp Castle in Schleswig. The album now resides at Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen. Recently the book was painstakingly restored, allowing the delicate illustrations to come to new life in their original colours. This beautiful volume reproduces the original work of 400 botanical illustrations in its entirety. It also includes an introductory essay and captions with basic information on each flower. Published for the first time, this lovely book is a must-have for lovers of botanical illustration. Text in English and German.

Provides a practical introduction to botanical illustration based on ten graded lessons. Each lesson gives you new skills to build upon the last. From mushrooms to orchids to hawthorn berries and leaves; once you’ve completed these lessons in drawing and painting botanical subjects, you will have all the techniques you need in order to tackle far more complex arrangements. An experienced teacher of botanical illustration, Valerie Price shows even the uninitiated illustrator how to produce accurate and beautiful results, with her step-by-step instructions on how to tackle each individual project. With advice on topics including accurate drawing, measuring and recording your subject, right the way through to preparing a well-composed botanical plate, this book covers everything you need to know to get ahead in botanical illustration.

From some of the earliest attempts at art to the plant hunters of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the images produced in the study of plants have held a fascination for all those who love nature. This book brings together the stories of the intrepid explorers (some of whom became botanical artists by default) and the many professional artists who recorded the flora that they discovered on their travels and expeditions. Truly global in its scope, this beautifully illustrated book moves across centuries and continents looking at the artistry of China and India, delving into the sketchbooks of explorers in the Himalayas and following the voyages of those who discovered new worlds and new species as far apart as Russian and South America. Alongside special features on key figures in the botanical art world, the book highlights the work of some of the great names of botanical art, including Ehret and Bauer. This book includes a host of rarely, or previously unpublished, images, and shows how what might have been a pastime for some also made a significant contribution to our understanding of the world and the glories of nature.

Written in an accessible style and beautifully illustrated, this practical book aims to unravel some of the perceived mysteries of the art by revealing the steps that go towards making a stunning painting. By breaking complex forms down into basic shapes, it provides a foundation for building and developing detail in a painting.