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Western Libraries

Botanical Illustration Resources: Exhibits and Exhibition Catalogs

A Selected Bibliography created for the 1999 Northwest Botanical Illustration Symposium (updated frequently) Compiled by Julene Sodt, of the Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA

Exhibits and Exhibition Catalogs

American Society of Botanical Artists.  ASBA North American Western Region Exhibit.  Loveland, CO:   American Society of Botanical Artists, 2003.
        Exhibit held February 15 through April 13, 2003 at Loveland Museum/Gallery, Loveland, Colorado.  Illustrated, 57 pages.

Anderson, F. J. A.  Treasury of Flowers:  Rare Illustrations from the Collection of the New York Botanical Garden.  Boston:  Little Brown, 1990.

Artists from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Gilbert S. Daniels, Director. Pittsburgh: The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie-Mellon University, 1974. (QK 98.2.D3)
        This exhibition presented the works of 39 artists and botanical illustrators, including Franz Bauer and Margaret Stones, whose lives and works span the period from the beginnings of Kew to the time of the exhibit. 73 pages.

Brindle, John V.  Flora Portrayed:  Classics of Botanical Art from the Hunt Institute Collection.  Pittsburgh:  Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie-Mellon University, 1985.

Brindle, John V. and James J. White. Talking in Flowers: Japanese Botanical Art. Hunt Institute for Botanical Art, 1982.
        "This annotated catalogue was produced as a companion to the 1982 exhibition of mainly 19th- and 20th-century Japanese botanical art held at the Institute. Drawn primarily from the Institute's collection, the works include books, handscrolls, sketchbook albums, woodblock prints and paintings." 93 illustrations, 25 in color. 96 pages.

Hunt Botanical Library. Compiled by George H. M. Lawrence. Catalogue: A Selection of 20th Century Botanical Art & Illustration; Presented at XI International Botanical Congress, August 1969.  Pittsburgh, 1969. (QK 98.2.H79)
        Arranged by artist, this catalogue presents work primarily from the permanent collection at the Hunt. Biographical data, listing of where each artist’s works are published, and the awards they have received are included. 168 pages.

Leith-Ross, Prudence and Henrietta McBurney.  The Florilegium of Alexander Marshal in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen at Windsor Castle.  London:  Royal Collection, 2000.

New York Public Library.  Nature's Mirror:  200 Years of Botanical Illustration.  New York:  New York Public Library, 1989.
"'Nature's Mirror' has been organized cooperatively by the New York Public Library, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. The exhibition has been made possible by a generous gift from Enid A. Haupt."  --- WorldCat

Robertson, Pamela. Charles Rennie Mackintosh: Art is the Flower . London: Pavilion, 1995.
        Published in North America under the title Flowers: Charles Rennie MacKintosh. The book is based on a catalogue for an exhibition of Mackintosh flower drawings, presented in 1988 as the Hunterian Art Gallery’s contribution to the third British Garden Festival. 112 pages.

Saunder, Gill. Ehret’s Flowering Plants: The Victoria and Albert National History Illustrators. Abrams, 1988.
        Includes 40 color plates of eighteenth century watercolorist Georg Dionysius Ehret. Paintings range from the common carnation to the newly discovered exotics like the American Turkscap lily. 63 pages.

Stiff, Ruth. Margaret Mee: Return to the Amazon. London: Stationery Office. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 1996.
        This volume was designed to accompany the exhibit of the same name (1997-1998). Mee’s works are showcased, one to a page, in full color, matched with a description of the plant and relevant journal excerpts. 201 pages.

Timby, Sara.  The Orchid Observed:  Five Centuries of Botanical Illustration:  An Exhibit of Books from the Collections of William K. Glikbarg and the Stanford University Libraries.  Stanford, Calif.:  Dept of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries, 1982.

Tomasi, Lucia Tongiorgi and Gretchen A. Hirschauer.  The Flowering of Florence:  Botanical Art for the Medici.  Washington, D.C.:  National Gallery of Art, 2002.
        A Catalog of an exhibition held at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., March 3 through May 27, 2002.  Bibliographic references are included.  --- WorldCat

Verdant Riches Revealed:  A Selection from the Treasures of the LuEsther T. Mertz Library at the New York Botanical Garden.  Bronx, N.Y.:  New York Botanical Garden, 1998. 

Wettengl, Kurt.  Maria Sibylla Merian, 1647-1717:  Artist and Naturalist.  Ostfilden-Ruit;  Verlag Gerd Hatje, 1998. (ND 588 .M52 A4 1998 - Oversize)
        A catalog of  the exhibition held at Historisches Museum in Frankfurt am Main in the winter of 1997/98.  275 pages with illustrations (some in color).  Includes bibliographical references (pages 27-275).

Wheelock Jr., Arthur K. From Botany to Bouquets: Flowers in Northern Art. Washington: National Gallery of Art, 1999.
        Representing the second exhibition in the Dutch Cabinet series, From Botany to Bouquets brings together a group of sixteenth and seventeenth century flower still-life paintings, watercolors, manuscripts, and botanical books. Lavishly illustrated in color. 88 pages.

Exhibits and Exhibition Catalogs

 

American Society of Botanical Artists.  ASBA North American Western Region Exhibit.  Loveland, CO:   American Society of Botanical Artists, 2003.
        Exhibit held February 15 through April 13, 2003 at Loveland Museum/Gallery, Loveland, Colorado.  Illustrated, 57 pages.

Anderson, F. J. A.  Treasury of Flowers:  Rare Illustrations from the Collection of the New York Botanical Garden.  Boston:  Little Brown, 1990.

Artists from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Gilbert S. Daniels, Director. Pittsburgh: The Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie-Mellon University, 1974. (QK 98.2.D3)
        This exhibition presented the works of 39 artists and botanical illustrators, including Franz Bauer and Margaret Stones, whose lives and works span the period from the beginnings of Kew to the time of the exhibit. 73 pages.

Brindle, John V.  Flora Portrayed:  Classics of Botanical Art from the Hunt Institute Collection.  Pittsburgh:  Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie-Mellon University, 1985.

Brindle, John V. and James J. White. Talking in Flowers: Japanese Botanical Art. Hunt Institute for Botanical Art, 1982.
        "This annotated catalogue was produced as a companion to the 1982 exhibition of mainly 19th- and 20th-century Japanese botanical art held at the Institute. Drawn primarily from the Institute's collection, the works include books, handscrolls, sketchbook albums, woodblock prints and paintings." 93 illustrations, 25 in color. 96 pages.

Cameron, Angus, Rose Cameron, Glenn M. Wightman, Basil Hall, et al. Replant: A New generation of Botanical Art, 1 April-20 June, 2010, Santos Museum of Economic Botany. Adelaide: Santos Museum of Economic Botany, 2010.

Hunt Botanical Library. Compiled by George H. M. Lawrence. Catalogue: A Selection of 20th Century Botanical Art & Illustration; Presented at XI International Botanical Congress, August 1969.  Pittsburgh, 1969. (QK 98.2.H79)
        Arranged by artist, this catalogue presents work primarily from the permanent collection at the Hunt. Biographical data, listing of where each artist’s works are published, and the awards they have received are included. 168 pages.

Leith-Ross, Prudence and Henrietta McBurney.  The Florilegium of Alexander Marshal in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen at Windsor Castle.  London:  Royal Collection, 2000.

New York Public Library.  Nature's Mirror:  200 Years of Botanical Illustration.  New York:  New York Public Library, 1989.
Nature's Mirror' has been organized cooperatively by the New York Public Library, the New York Botanical Garden, and the Robyal Botinic Gardens at Kew.

Robertson, Pamela. Charles Rennie Mackintosh: Art is the Flower . London: Pavilion, 1995.
        Published in North America under the title Flowers: Charles Rennie MacKintosh. The book is based on a catalogue for an exhibition of Mackintosh flower drawings, presented in 1988 as the Hunterian Art Gallery’s contribution to the third British Garden Festival. 112 pages.

Saunder, Gill. Ehret’s Flowering Plants: The Victoria and Albert National History Illustrators. Abrams, 1988.
        Includes 40 color plates of eighteenth century watercolorist Georg Dionysius Ehret. Paintings range from the common carnation to the newly discovered exotics like the American Turkscap lily. 63 pages.

Stiff, Ruth. Margaret Mee: Return to the Amazon. London: Stationery Office. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, 1996.
        This volume was designed to accompany the exhibit of the same name (1997-1998). Mee’s works are showcased, one to a page, in full color, matched with a description of the plant and relevant journal excerpts. 201 pages.

Timby, Sara.  The Orchid Observed:  Five Centuries of Botanical Illustration:  An Exhibit of Books from the Collections of William K. Glikbarg and the Stanford University Libraries.  Stanford, Calif.:  Dept of Special Collections, Stanford University Libraries, 1982.

Tomasi, Lucia Tongiorgi and Gretchen A. Hirschauer.  The Flowering of Florence:  Botanical Art for the Medici.  Washington, D.C.:  National Gallery of Art, 2002.
        A Catalog of an exhibition held at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., March 3 through May 27, 2002.  Bibliographic references are included.  --- WorldCat

Verdant Riches Revealed:  A Selection from the Treasures of the LuEsther T. Mertz Library at the New York Botanical Garden.  Bronx, N.Y.:  New York Botanical Garden, 1998. 

Wettengl, Kurt.  Maria Sibylla Merian, 1647-1717:  Artist and Naturalist.  Ostfilden-Ruit;  Verlag Gerd Hatje, 1998. (ND 588 .M52 A4 1998 - Oversize)
        A catalog of  the exhibition held at Historisches Museum in Frankfurt am Main in the winter of 1997/98.  275 pages with illustrations (some in color).  Includes bibliographical references (pages 27-275).

Wheelock Jr., Arthur K. From Botany to Bouquets: Flowers in Northern Art. Washington: National Gallery of Art, 1999.
        Representing the second exhibition in the Dutch Cabinet series, From Botany to Bouquets brings together a group of sixteenth and seventeenth century flower still-life paintings, watercolors, manuscripts, and botanical books. Lavishly illustrated in color. 88 pages.