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Botanical Art’s Golden Age

December 1, 2013 by Tania Marien

TheGoldenAgeOfBotanicalArt Drawing
Painting
Engraving
Coloring
Observing
Stippling

These are some of the techniques botanists and artists use to document plants. Each executed with a keen eye for observation and a steady hand. What we know about plants today would not be possible if it weren’t for the botanists, explorers, doctors, artists and observers who came before us. Many centuries before us.

A new book about the contributions made by these passionate educators was finally released in the United States. The stories of these brave, creative and hard-working souls are shared in The Golden Age of Botanical Art, a wonderful history book by Martyn Rix that is sure to be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in natural history art.

This book is filled with fascinating history and stories about famous and not-so-famous people, many of whom I learned about for the first time. Rix cross-references people, places and events throughout his book and while this helps readers form a big picture of history, it makes summarizing a challenge.
Allow me to give you a quick tour of each section.

The Origins of Botanical Art

Learn why botanical illustrations were created. Also learn about ancient herbals, flower painting during the Renaissance, Leonardo di Vinci, Albrecht Durer, woodcuts, the Turkish Empire, English herbals and why the paintings of Jacopo Ligozzi (1547-1626) were better than anyone who came before him.


Seventeenth-Century Florilegia
Learn about the plants brought to Europe by travelers and naturalists and how the work of botanical illustrators contributed to the development of botany.


North American Plants
Learn about the introduction of North American plants into English gardens and learn about the work of artists and botanists such as John Tradescant the Younger, Mark Catesby, John and William Bartram, Andre & Francois Michaux, Georg Dionysius Ehret and Carl Linnaeus.


Travelers to the Levant
European interest in Asia and the Ottoman Empire is the focus of this section. Botanists and painters receiving special attention are Joseph Pitton de Tournefort, Claude Aubriet, John Sibthorp, and Maria Sibylla Merian.


The Exploration of Russia & Japan
Learn about botanical expeditions into Russia and Japan. View images from Flora Rossica, Flora Japonica and learn about a collection of paintings on vellum started by botanist and naturalist, Gaston d’Orleans.


Botany Bay & Beyond
Learn about expeditions into Australia, the work of artists Sydney Parkinson and Ferdinand Bauer and the scientific contributions of Sir Joseph Banks.


The Golden Age in England
Learn how the Royal Gardens at Kew began and view beautiful plant studies such as the study of Pinus larix by Ferdinand Bauer and the graceful Galeandra devoniana, an orchid by Miss Sarah Anne Drake who was John Lindley’s chief artist.


South American Adventures
Expeditions into Spain and the amazing collections of work produced from these expeditions are the focus of this section.


The Golden Age in France
Learn about Gerard van Spaendonck (Pierre-Joseph Redouté’s teacher), Redouté and Empress Josephine in this section.


Botanical and Horticultural Illustrated Journals
Learn about the history surrounding illustrated journals such as Curtis’s Botanical Magazine, The Botanical Register and others.


Early Chinese Plant Drawings
Learn about the type of botanical art created in China before the Europeans arrived.


The Company School in India
Learn about the work of Indian artists, English artists and the publications produced during the time when the East India Company controlled trade in the East Indies.


A New Era at Kew
More history about Kew and how this world-famous garden was established.


Victorian Travelers
An introduction to the botanical contributions made by artists Janet Hutton, Lt. General John Eyre, Charlotte Lugard, Charlotte Williams, Marianne North and Henry John Elwes.


Bringing China to Europe
This section is about the introduction of Chinese plants into European gardens.


The Flowers of War and Beyond
Rix discusses the history of botanical illustration during World War II. Learn what botanist Geoffrey Herklots did while in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp and what Marianne North’s great nephew did after retiring as an Admiral from the Navy in 1960. Artists Margaret Mee, Barbara Everhard, Graham Stuart Thomas, Rory McEwen and Raymond Booth are also mentioned.

Rix closes his book discussing the work of contemporary botanical artists and by bringing attention to those making key contributions to the current renaissance of botanical art, namely instructor Anne Marie Evans and, of course, botanist and art collector Shirley Sherwood.

In the introduction to his book, Rix thinks aloud and wonders if what we are observing now in the world of botanical art is a new golden age. He explains that the period between 1750-1850 was considered a golden age because the demand for scientific information collided with the enthusiasm of wealthy patrons and with the availability of skilled artists capable of documenting new discoveries.

Today he wonders if the need to preserve disappearing habitat, combined with an abundance of botanical artists and the technological means to create botanical works faster and at a lower cost will create a new golden age even though there is a growing shortage of botanists.


What do you think?


Related
Darwin’s “The Origin of Species” to Become Illuminated Manuscript

Posted in ArtPlantae Books, book review, botanical art, botanical art books, Education, History, Learning Opportunities |

Botany for All Ages: A Field-tested Guide for Educators

November 22, 2013 by Tania Marien

BotanyForAllAges Botany for All Ages is a collection of sensory-based environmental education activities created by volunteers and educators at Garden in the Woods in Framingham, MA. This book was written for parents, classroom teachers and informal science educators.

Written as a collaborative effort between Jorie Hunken and the New England Wild Flower Society,
Botany for All Ages begins with 26 short chapters offering instruction about how to lead environmental education activities. In their introduction to teaching with plants, Hunken and the Society address topics such as how to structure outdoor activities, how to enhance observational skills and how to develop a vocabulary that can be used to identify plants. Included in this section are study sheets to activities that call upon students to observe, listen, experiment, explain, draw, write or teach about the plant topic at hand.

Most of the remaining 101 short chapters are comprised of activities through which botanists of all ages can learn about plant morphology, plant physiology, pollination, seed dispersal, plant growth, plant succession, plant/insect interactions and soil science. There is even an activity involving transects encouraging thoughtful observation and the use of drawing to record changes in plant species.

This book has so many activities and tips that it is impossible to explain them all here. Also included is a glossary of terms and a bibliography of resources about environmental education, flowers, seeds, plant function, ​and ethnobotany.

This title is still available as a used book. Search for copies of Botany for All Ages at your favorite online used book provider.


Literature Cited
Hunken, Jorie. 1993. Botany for All Ages: Discovering Nature through Activities for Children and Adults. Second edition. Old Saybrook, CT: The Globe Pequot Press.


Also See
Go Botany: New England Wild Flower Society

Posted in botany, Teaching & Learning, teaching and learning |

Looking for more than your typical botanical drawing course?

November 20, 2013 by Tania Marien

See Val Webb’s online workshop about herbs. It’s art, history and folklore!

Here is what’s new at Classes Near You > Alabama:


The Illustrated Garden, A Studio Blog
http://valwebb.wordpress.com
Val Webb is the 2013 Artist-in-Residence at the Mobile Botanical Gardens. This year Val will work at the gardens and encourage others to sketch the garden’s collections to learn about plants, gardening and all that the Mobile Botanical Gardens has to offer. Visit Val’s website to view her online tutorial, Botanical Drawing with Pencil and Watercolor. Connect with The Illustrated Garden on Facebook.

    Birds in Colored Pencil – Starting January 6, 2014
    Learn how to paint colored pencil portraits of birds using Val Webb’s “gentle pencil” drawing technique. Then learn how to layer color to create detailed colored pencil images. This online course is composed of nine lessons. Work at your own pace. No experience necessary. Pre-registration required. Cost: $50
    View Details/Register


    Drawn & Decorated Watercolor Lettering     – Starting January 13, 2014
    Create decorated letters using watercolor, Pigma Micron pens, pencils and brush. No experience necessary. Participants have four months to complete 10 projects. Work at your own pace. Pre-registration required. Cost: $50
    View Details/Register


    Draw & Paint Six Culinary Herbs     – Starting March 3, 2014
    Not your typical botanical drawing course. Participants will create pencil studies, spirited ink-and-wash sketches, mixed media paintings and learn about the history and folklore of the six herbs that are the focus of this course. Ten lessons. Work at your own pace. Pre-registration required. Cost: $50
    View Details/Register

Also see Val’s online workshop about drawing dogs and cats in pencil and charcoal that begins on January 27, 2014.

Are miniature gardens and fairies your passion? Then don’t miss Val’s class, Draw & Paint Fairies in Nature.

View all online workshops at The Illustrated Garden

Posted in botanical art, drawing, Education, gardening, general botany, Learning Opportunities |

Learn about Trees, Grasses, Ferns and More at the Field Studies Council

November 20, 2013 by Tania Marien

fsc2014 The Field Studies Council in England has announced its schedule of classes for 2014. Click on the image to view their 52-page brochure listing 350 classes about plants, art and nature.

This is what’s new at
Classes Near You > England.


Field Studies Council
www.field-studies-council.org
Founded in 1943, the Field Studies Council (FSC) provides learning opportunities about the environment for all ages and abilities. Visit their website to learn more about interdisciplinary fieldwork opportunities, classes for individuals and families, publications and profession development courses. Courses are held across the FSC network of UK Centers, from the Scottish Highlands to the south Devon coast. The extensive schedule of classes for 2013 includes:

Botany Courses – Courses include studies of flowers, trees, grasses and grasslike plants, ferns, freshwater and wetland plants, lichens, fungi, general plants, mosses and liverworts. View Details/Register

Natural History Courses – Courses include studies of the natural world, birds and other animals, habitats and conservation. View Details/Register

Art Courses – Courses include painting, drawing, crafts (e.g. bookbinding), traditional skills (e.g., basketry), photography, archeology and botanical illustration. Get information about FSC botanical illustration courses online.

Posted in botany, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities, nature, travel |

Medieval Album of Plants Reproduced for Modern Audience

November 18, 2013 by Tania Marien

Mandrake. Image courtesy of M. Moleiro Editor, S.A., all rights reserved

Mandrake. Image courtesy of M. Moleiro Editor, S.A., all rights reserved

The historic Tractatus de Herbis, codex Sloane 4016 can now be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in the history of botany, botanical illustration or the history of medicinal plants.

The new facsimile reproduction has been published by Spanish publisher Moleiro Editorial whose specialty is the reproduction of codices, maps and works of art made on parchment, vellum, paper and papyrus between the 8th and 16th centuries.

The reproduction of Tractatus de Herbis features 218 illuminated pages and is bound in embossed dark green leather. It is an exact replica of the original and is accompanied by a volume of commentary written by Alain Touwaide, Smithsonian scholar and co-founder of the Institute for the Preservation of Medical Traditions.

Institute co-founder, Emanuela Appetiti, explains the significance of this historic work:

The manuscript Sloane 4016 is a large album of botany made sometime around 1440 in Italy. Although it is traditionally identified as a copy of the well-known Tractatus de herbis (Treatise on medicinal plants), it does not contain the text of this treatise, but only its illustrations. The major question posed by this manuscript is why it abandoned the text of the Tractatus, giving birth to the new genre of the botanical album. Significantly enough, the captions of the illustrations provide the names of the plants in the different languages used in the 15th century, all written with the Latin alphabet, however. They hint at the function of the botanical album as an international work that could be used by all the different linguistic groups, whereas the text of the Tractatus could be used only by those who understood Latin. In this view, the development of the botanical album is an unsuspected very modern phenomenon that sheds a completely new light on the history of botanical illustration and highlights a process of internationalization and, at the same time, of linguistic specialization coupled with a principle of economy that had not been uncovered so far.

Alain Touwaide explains more about the history of botanical albums in the description of the Tractatus de herbis, codex Sloan 4016 viewable on the publisher’s website.

Also available for viewing are 18 images showing the contents of this album. After reading Alain’s description, click on one of the images above his text. This will take you to a page where you can view all sample images.

Only 987 copies of this historic album are available for purchase worldwide. Alain’s commentary has been published in separate editions available in English, Spanish and French. To inquire about purchasing this limited edition reproduction at a special discounted price, contact the publisher.


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Posted in botanical art, botanical art books, botany, Education, general botany, History, Learning Opportunities, Special Announcements |

Caring for Trees

November 15, 2013 by Tania Marien

WhyWouldAnyoneCutATreeDown We walk past trees all the time. They line sidewalks, grow in the backyard and are celebrated during seasonal activities like apple picking.

The tree on the sidewalk or in your yard probably doesn’t demand too much of your time. However trees, like annual flowers, require proper care and sometimes they need to be cut down. Why cut down a tree?

Author Roberta Burzynski explains the reasons why in Why Would Anyone Cut a Tree Down?. Published by the USDA Forest Service’s Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry in Newton Square, Pennsylvania earlier this year, Burzynski wrote her book in response to what students were telling her during classroom visits. While students were aware of the benefits of trees and the products they provide, they repeatedly told her that trees could never be cut down. As she explains in the preface of her book, she wrote her book to address their “gap in knowledge and understanding” about this subject.

Burzynski wrote Why Would Anyone Cut a Tree Down? for children, adults and families. It is an informative book illustrated with the peaceful, thoughtful and moving watercolor paintings of scientific illustrator, Juliette Watts. Burzynski discusses the ecological benefits of trees and the products derived from trees (e.g., pencils and paint brushes) in the first part of her book and then eases into the reasons why trees might need to be cut down in the second part. She closes her book with instructions about how to care for trees and supplies readers with resources about the following topics:

  • How to recognize hazardous defects in trees.
  • How to prune trees.
  • How to get help identifying tree pests.
  • How to use fire-resistant plants in the landscape.
  • How to buy trees and plant them in appropriate locations.
  • How to find wood markets in addition to commercial sawmills.

Burzynski’s text and Watts’ illustrations provide many talking points and learning opportunities for both children and adults. This wonderful book is available for purchase from the U.S. Government Printing Office for $10 (US) and $14 (International). It is also available as a free PDF from the USDA Forest Service. My personal recommendation is to purchase a print copy. This is a resource you will want on your shelf.

A sixteen-page curriculum guide is available for teachers and parents. This resource-rich guide includes 17 activities that can be completed in 15-60 minutes. Links to Web-based resources and books are also included.


Literature Cited
Burzynski, Roberta. 2013. Why Would Anyone Cut a Tree Down?. Newtown Square, PA: USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry.


Also See

Updated October 29, 2014

Posted in Teaching & Learning, teaching and learning |

Draw Plants in Hawaii…..For a Month!

November 14, 2013 by Tania Marien

Botanical Illustration Intensive Workshop
The National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kaua’I Hawaii

    February 2 – February 15, 2014 (Session 1)
    February 15 – 28, 2014 (Session 2)
    February 2 – February 28, 2014 (One-month Intensive)

    Time: 10 AM to 4 PM, daily

Study the fundamentals of botanical drawing using graphite pencil, colored pencils, watercolor pencils and watercolor. Drawing plants and flowers starts with observation.

Under the supervision of Wendy Hollender, illustrator, author, and instructor from The New York Botanical Garden, students will learn about plant structures and their importance through dissection and comparison.

Students will create detailed botanical drawings and sketchbook pages of flowering plants, fruits and seedpods, working directly from the wide variety of tropical plants growing at the National Tropical Botanical Garden (NTBG).

There will be opportunity to work on large compositions and detailed paintings for those staying the entire month. Lessons in composition will facilitate the development of larger compositions.

Participants will study historical botanical illustrations spanning four centuries as a way of understanding the tradition and techniques still in use today.

Dr. David Burney and other NTBG botanists will be available to help with understanding botany and other aspects of plant ecology.

This class is appropriate for advanced students as well as beginners because everyone works individually. No previous art background required.

Instructional classes will be conducted four days each week at The National Tropical Botanical Garden, with one day per week allotted for field trips or working in other locations on the island. Participants will have a large indoor-outdoor classroom for use, with time to draw outside anywhere in the garden.

Instructor is available in the classroom and does daily demonstrations. There will be a demonstration about drawing in the garden to introduce participants to techniques used when drawing outside. The weekends are free where by students can visit the island, relax at the beach or continue to draw in the garden classroom.

Workshop Fees:
Two-week workshop: $950 includes sumptuous fresh lunch on class days featuring local produce and tropical fruits. Other meals are not included with the exception of a once a week beach dinner barbeque.

Accommodations are available at the National Tropical Botanical Garden in shared housing for an unbeatable price or in nearby Kalaheo and Poipu or other locations in the area. For those staying in shared housing there is a kitchen for shared use. Bed and Breakfasts options are also available.

For additional information and to register, visit www.DrawingInColor.com or contact Wendy.

This information has been added to the Classes Near You sections for New York and Hawaii.

Posted in botanical art, Education, general botany, Learning Opportunities, Sketching & Journaling, Special Announcements, Special Events |

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