Botanical Prints for scientific research and collecting
Botanical prints have a wonderful dual purpose: they are lovely
aesthetic pieces, akin to fine art, but also have the meticulous
detail necessary for science.
Botanical prints often reflect the preoccupations of society
during the time in which they were created. For example 'tulip
mania' swept through Holland in the 17th century, making prize
tulip bulbs, and prints illustrating the bulbs, sought-after
commodities. Fanciful British gardens cultivated in the 18th
century were expertly rendered by a well-known Dutch flower
artist, Jan Van Huysum.
Beginning in the early 17th century, European artists and
scientists undertook massive projects to collect, capture and
catalogue nature and its astonishing variety. Hortus Eysttensis
was the first major collection of botanical illustrations; it
was published in 1613 by Basilius Besler. At least 10 engravers
worked under Besler's supervision to complete the 16-year
project, which documented the breathtaking gardens of the Prince
Bishop of Eichstätt, in Germany.
In the eighteenth century, Johann Wilhelm Weinmann and a score
of others worked on illustrations to introduce exotic plants to
England. Examples of these exotics include the banana tree and
lists of imported and domestic plants that were used in herbal
remedies.
The 19th century saw the printing and distribution by American
publisher Currier and Ives of a popular arrangement of still
life floral bouquets. Many of the original lithographs and
prints created by Currier and Ives remain available for viewing
in prominent museums in the United States.
Botanical prints are
considered a fusion of art and science, and
there are many books and websites today that detail the
scientific importance of these prints. With such a wide variety
of plant species, many still undiscovered and unnamed, it is
vital to have a complete record of plant life as it has appeared
in history. The scientific community generally accepts the idea
that plants hold the secret to powerful medicines that will be
used to control or cure many of today's diseases and illnesses
and botanical prints provide a means of recording where certain
plants were used in the past and when.
However, beyond their scientific value, botanical prints are
also prized by collectors. Significant pieces, such as those
featured in Hortus Eysttensis, can range in price from
$1,800-$6,200 (USD). As in most cases, the prints in the Hortus
series survive the garden, which was destroyed by Swedish troops
in 1634. A reconstruction of the original garden opened in to
the public in Eichstätt in 1998.
Interior designers also value botanical prints for their beauty
and delicate colour, although the prints used in homes and other
decorated buildings tend to be reprints collected and
photocopied from old books.
Visit Botanical
Prints.Com
About the author:
Gary Prestwich has studied Horticulture, Agronomy, Plant and
Soil Science and has specialised in the study of plant pests and
diseases. The information that he has gathered has been made
available through his informational websites. Find out more at
http://www.justbotanicalprints.com
Written by: Gary Prestwich
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