{"id":32202,"date":"2022-05-26T12:35:35","date_gmt":"2022-05-26T11:35:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fineart-restoration.co.uk\/?p=32202"},"modified":"2023-06-21T13:32:11","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T12:32:11","slug":"fascinating-flora-botanical-illustration-care-restoration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fineart-restoration.co.uk\/news\/fascinating-flora-botanical-illustration-care-restoration\/","title":{"rendered":"Fascinating flora: botanical illustration care & restoration"},"content":{"rendered":"

Botanical illustrations recording natural history are a popular and important art form, with original plates and reprints of historic watercolours used for both scientific and decorative purposes. These works on paper can often be fragile due to their medium and age, requiring specific atmospheric conditions, specialist framing and professional conservation treatments to ensure their longevity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BotanicalAbove: botanical illustration prints and watercolours can be professionally restored when they face staining and water damage<\/em><\/h6>\n

This article will cover the history of these beautiful and intriguing artworks, including the value they may reach at auction and the ways they can be safely cared for. We will also look at the restoration of works on paper, featuring wonderful results following foxing disturbances, common accidents and major disasters.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"ExamplesAbove: examples of botanical illustration plates from the late 18th and early 19th centuries<\/em><\/h6>\n

Famous botanical illustrators\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

In auction houses today, botanical illustrations can sell for high sums depending on their visual appeal and connection to famous names. In May 2022 a collection of 36 prints by Pierre-Joseph Redout\u00e9 sold for \u00a3126,000 in London, far surpassing an estimate of \u00a350,000. Average prices for popular collections of illustrations are around \u00a310,000 and remain popular with buyers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Pierre-JosephAbove: a selection of illustrations by Pierre-Joseph Redout\u00e9<\/em><\/h6>\n

The origins of botanical illustration date back to classical antiquity, this was primarily due to the use of herbal remedies in medicine and the requirement for this information to be recorded. The <\/span>Codex Vindobonensis<\/span><\/i>, a copy of an earlier work by Dioscorides, dates to 512 and was created for the daughter of Roman Emperor Olybrius. Books like these were important to ensure that herbs and plants were not lost in translation between the many dialects and languages of the Roman Empire.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"16thAbove: a botanical illustration from the 16th century by Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues<\/em><\/h6>\n

Botanical illustrations continued to be used throughout history, such as the 6th century <\/span>Vienna Dioscurides<\/span><\/i>, but it was the introduction of the improved printing press in the 18th century that allowed it to really take hold as a necessary and much-admired part of scientific research. Due to the new quality of print, original watercolours and fine drawings could be accurately reproduced and allowed all known species under botanical nomenclature (that is plants given a scientific Latin name) to be vividly recorded.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"17thcAbove: botanical illustrations from Iran, 17th century\u00a0<\/em><\/h6>\n

Illustrators from the 17th and 18th centuries include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • John Dunstall (1644-1675)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Alexander Marshal (1620-1682)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Elizabeth Blackwell (1707-1758)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Augusta Innes Withers (1792-1877)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Maria Sibylla Merian (1647 – 1717)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • John Miller (1715-1792)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Peter Brown (1758-1799)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Sydenham T. Edwards (1768-1819)<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Sydney Parkinson (1745-1771)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • William Jackson Hooker (1785-1865)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Pierre-Joseph Redout\u00e9 (1759-1840)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    \"17thAbove: an illustration of tulips by Jacob Marrel from the 17th century<\/em><\/h6>\n

    As the cultural enlightenment of the 18th century continued, greater interest was shown in botany and gardening for both scientific and philosophical reasons, making botanical books popular in aristocratic and newly emerging middle-class homes across Britain. There was also much expansion of knowledge in this era, as the New World opened up to exploration. The use of pictures made what was primarily scientific literature an accessible encyclopedia of plant life that could be appreciated by wider audiences. The 18th century saw the production of the <\/span>Flora Graeca<\/span><\/i> illustrations by John Sibthorp and Ferdinand Bauer, along with many other print recordings used in pamphlets and publications.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"FloraAbove: illustrated plates from the Flora Graeca as printed in 1806<\/em><\/h6>\n

    The 19th century had further engagement with natural history and research, with artists continuing to specialise in the accurate interpretation of botany. An influential illustrator from the Victorian era is Marianne North, who between 1871 and 1885 painted over 800 illustrations in oil paint. After selling up her home aged 40, she spent the next 14 years visiting 17 countries on 6 continents to dedicate her life to recording plant life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Further 19th century artists specialising in the field include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Anne Pratt (1806-1893)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Beatrix Potter (1866-1943)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Priscilla Susan Bury (1799-1872)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Walter Hood Fitch (1817-1892)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Matilda Smith (1854-1926)\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
      \"19thAbove: an ashoka tree flower illustration from the early 19th century<\/em><\/h6>\n

      The 20th century saw important studies such as <\/span>The Cactaceae<\/span><\/i> by Lord Britton and Joseph Nelson Rose, as well as <\/span>The Banksias <\/span><\/i>published in 1981. <\/span>The Banksias <\/span><\/i>was a remarkable work comprised of 30 books and 100 portfolios for just the first volume, all by a single illustrator called Celia Rosser. Rosser has also released her work as prints, acknowledging the use of botanical illustration as artwork for the home.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      Renowned 20th century illustrators also include:<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Margaret Mee (1909-1988)<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Albert Robert Valentien (1862-1925)<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Lilian Snelling (1879-1972)<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Arthur Harry Church (1865-1937)<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Rory McEwen (1932-1982)<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Stella Ross-Craig (1906-2006)<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Pandora Sellars (1936-2017)<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Raymond Booth (1929-2015)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        \"UnderwaterAbove: a 19th century watercolour illustration of ocean life by James M. Sommerville<\/em><\/h6>\n

        Caring for botanical prints and watercolours<\/b><\/p>\n

        Paper can become severely damaged by historic framing techniques that have used acidic mounts, glues and backing boards. These discolour and deteriorate the surrounding area, so the first aspect of caring for your print or watercolour should always be to ensure conservation-approved materials have been used and that no hidden dangers are lurking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        \"BotanicalAbove: one of our framing specialists providing a conservation-appropriate environment for a botanical work on paper<\/em><\/h6>\n

        Wooden backings or non-acid free boards should always be replaced, whether or not the deterioration or staining has started to show through, as it will be an issue in the future. Furthermore, no masking tape or glue should ever be in direct contact with the artwork. The painting or print should be well-sealed in the frame to avoid insects and debris, make sure to check the gum tape on the back is secure.<\/span><\/p>\n