The Art of Botanical Illustration

The Special Collections Department at the University of Delaware Library maintains a small site (from a 2001 exhibition) on the development of botanical illustration.

Some of the earliest works depicting plants were herbals (books describing plants used for medicine). Exploration of new lands in the 16th century introduced many new plants to Europe and increased interest in botany; illustration provided a way to document species that could not easily be transported. As botanists refined the classification of plants, illustrations focused on the structures used for species identification. Modern use of botanical illustration has continued in publication and also in advertising and decorative work.

Link: The Art of Botanical Illustration from The University of Delaware Library

Posted by Eric La Fountaine at 10:45 AM on October 12, 2004