Nature Illustrated: Flowers, Plants, and Trees, 1550-1900 : From the Collections of the New York Public Library - Hardcover

"Where art begins and nature departs is not easy to discern." With that astute cautionary note, McTigue ( A Child's Garden of Delights ) illuminates the art and science of botanical illustration. And while the genre's primary purpose may be factual accuracy, even the most austere prints, paintings and engravings exhibited here exert a certain hold on the imagination, whether in a lissome stalk of wheat or the opulent floral profusion of "Corona Imperialis Polyanthos." The 100 color and black-and-white plates by such artists as J. J. Grandville, Elizabeth Blackwell and botanical illustration's leading light, Pierre-Joseph Redoute, are arranged chronologically in four sections: useful plants, edible plants, ornamental flowers and ferns, and trees and shrubs, with captions detailing artistic significance, historical importance and reiterating the text that in some cases accompanied the original (mint kills roundworm, encourages virility in men, heals dog bites and is good for the memory). Published to coincide with a New York Public Library exhibit, this delightful catalogue will aid and abet the curiosity of anyone with a green thumb.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.