1790s Still-life Prints

Artist: William Curtis (English, 1746-1799) Title: Set of Six Hand-Colored Engravings Portfolio: The Botanical Magazine; or, Flower-Garden Displayed Year: 1794-1812 (First-second ser...

Artist: William Curtis (English, 1746-1799) Title: Set of Six Hand-Colored Engravings Portfolio: The Botanical Magazine; or, Flower-Garden Displayed Year: 1796-1829 (First-third seri...

Aquatint and mezzotint, printed in colours and finished by hand, heightened with gum arabic, from The Temple of Flora. Framed and glazed. London, 1...

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 Doctor of Medicine, practicing 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 and others as painters; Francesco Bartolozzi, Richard Earlom and John Landseer. Most of the images were painted by Peter Charles Henderson and Philip Reinagle. These botanical illustrations are unique as they were the first flower prints with landscape backgrounds, depicting the natural habitat of the plant. The life-size flowers stand out dramatically and the whole effect is startlingly modern. Thornton's announced intention was to make this work the most magnificent tribute ever paid to the famous Swedish botanist Linnaeus by illustrating his Sexual System with the finest possible prints. All these were engraved on a larger scale than anything which had hitherto appeared and then were printed in colour, an expensive and uncommon method in England at this time. A brilliant effect. This rare and celebrated plate of the Roses...

Boxthorn Japanese, Lyciym japonicum Plate 361 1797 Hand-colored etching Ed. 1st ed. 9 x 5.25 inches

—–---Pyramidal, -------Pyramidalis Plate 366 1797 Hand-colored etching Ed. 1st ed. 9 x 5.25 inches

Artist: James Sowerby (English, 1757-1822) Title: "Glaucium Violaccum (Violet Horned-Poppy)" (Vol. 3, Plate 201) Portfolio: English Botany; or, Coloured Figures of British Plants Year: 1794 (First edition) Medium: Original Hand-Colored Engraving on cream wove paper Limited edition: Unknown Printer: J. Davis...

Artist: William Curtis (English, 1746-1799) Title: "Chironia Baccifera Berry-Bearing Chironia" (Vol. 7, Plate 233) Portfolio: The Botanical Magazine; or, Flower-Garden Displayed Year...

Milk-vetch Montpelier, Astragalus monspessulanus Plate 375 1797 Hand-colored etching Ed. 1st ed. 9 x 5.25 inches

Craggula Tree, Crassula cotyledon Plate 384 1797 Hand-colored etching Ed. 1st ed. 9 x 5.25 inches

Vervain Three-leaved, Verbena triphylla Plate 367 1797 Hand-colored etching Ed. 1st ed. 9 x 5.25 inches

A 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...

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...

Epidendrum Aloe-leaved, Epdendrum aloides Plate 387 1797 Hand-colored etching Ed. 1st ed. 9 x 5.25 inches

Marvel of Peru Common, Mirabilis jalapa Plate 371 1797 Hand-colored etching Ed. 1st ed. 9 x 5.25 inches

Toad-flax Clammy, Antirrhinum viscosum Plate 368 1797 Hand-colored etching Ed. 1st ed. 9 x 5.25 inches

Amaryllis Waved-flowerd, Amaryllis undulatea Plate 369 1797 Hand-colored etching Ed. 1st ed. 9 x 5.25 inches

Corn-flag Copper coloured, Gladiolus securiger Plate 383 1797 Hand-colored etching Ed. 1st ed. 9 x 5.25 inches

Cyrilla Scarlet-flowered, Cyrilla pulchella Plate 374 1797 Hand-colored etching Ed. 1st ed. 9 x 5.25 inches

Fig-marigold Showy, Mesembryanthem spectabile Plate 396 1797 Hand-colored etching Ed. 1st ed. 9 x 5.25 inches

Heath Recurved, Erica retorta Plate 362 1797 Hand-colored etching Ed. 1st ed. 9 x 5.25 inches

Brunfelsia American, Brunfelsia americana Plate 393 1797 Hand-colored etching Ed. 1st ed. 9 x 5.25 inches

—– Shining-leaved, Salvia formosa Plate 376 1797 Hand-colored etching Ed. 1st ed. 9 x 5.25 inches

Artist: William Curtis (English, 1746-1799) Title: "Cyrilla Pulchella Scarlet-Flowered Cyrilla" (Vol. 11, Plate 374) Portfolio: The Botanical Magazine; or, Flower-Garden Displayed Ye...

Roella Prickly, Roella ciliata Plate 378 1797 Hand-colored etching Ed. 1st ed. 9 x 5.25 inches