Scientific Splendour: The art of botanical illustration

Our current display explores the development of botanical illustration from the end of the 18th century to the turn of the 20th century. Initially employed to support scientific discourse, botanical illustration evolved as an art form that increasingly prioritised aesthetic style over scientific exactitude.

One publication in particular transformed the depiction of plants: Robert Thornton’s The temple of Flora, or garden of the botanist, poet, painter and philosopher. Published in batches between 1799 and 1807, it remains the most renowned of all botanical publications. For the first time, floral specimens were depicted within the landscape, not only capturing the species’ natural environment but also suggesting the personality of individual plants. The sumptuous production established the benchmark for all subsequent botanical publications.

View original plates from The temple of Flora, as well as a range of rare botanical publications from the Caroline Simpson Library, in our library display Scientific Splendour: The art of botanical illustration.