Publisher's Synopsis
This is an illustrated history of flower painting over the last 200 years, based upon Kew's archives of botanical illustrations. The author has made a selection of pictures from these archives and accompanies them with a text about the artists and their work at Kew.;The work is divided into four main historical sections: the early years, up to 1780; the artist as explorer, 1780-1830; the wonder of creation, 1830-1900; and the artist as conservationist, 1900 to the present day.;As well as considering the history of flower painting, Richard Mabey focuses upon individual illustrators who are important as artists, as well as a group of gifted amateurs who have contributed to Kew.
