THORNTON. Group of Carnations
By Dr. Robert John Thornton
Located in London, London
Magnificent print by Robert John Thornton; aquatint and mezzotint, printed in colour and finished by hand, heightened with gum arabic, from The Temple of Flora.
[London 1799]
First state.
Thornton was a prolific medical author and became a Doctor of Medicine at St Andrews University and licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians. However, he is best remembered for this great botanical publication The Temple of Flora, which formed a part of the larger work - New Illustration of the sexual system of Linnaeus.
In 1797, he also began advertising for subscribers to his planned natural history publishing venture, which eventually comprised of 30 folio botanical plates. For these remarkable illustrations, he engaged the services of the leading artists and engravers of his day: Sir William Beechey, James Opie, Henry Raeburn, John Russell, Philip Reinagle...
Category
1790s Naturalistic Art by Medium: Aquatint
MaterialsMezzotint, Aquatint, Handmade Paper, Engraving