Botanical Prints

Included in the permanent collection is a group of 21 large botanical watercolors by painter-illustrator Abigail Lyman.

Recently, the Met received a gift of thirteen botanical prints depicting various flowers, fruits, and animals. The prints are from the late 18th and early 19th century and were originally published in magazines and books.

The donation includes prints which were originally published in German magazines. Included is a work by Georg Dionysius Ehret (1708-1770), one of the foremost botanical draftsmen of his period. He was apprenticed as a gardener and used his free time to draw plants. His drawings of flora soon became highly valued and he traveled all across Europe before finally settling in England. Papaya (see cover) is one of his most coveted prints.

Other prints are drawn from The Botanical Magazine, which was first published by William Curtis in 1787. Curtis was a trained pharmacist living in London, whose greater interest was the study of flora and insects. He maintained a large garden where he grew beautiful exotic plants. His botanical magazine provided gardeners with important horticultural information.

The principal artist for The Botanical Magazine was Sydenham T. Edwards (1768-1819). He created over 1,600 plates that appeared in The Botanical Magazine in its first 28 years. Other artists included William Kilburn, James Sowerby, and Walter Fitch. Edwards published the rival Botanists' Register in 1815 for which he also created numerous illustrations.

The thirteen prints were donated by Richard Shebairo and Kathleen Monaghan in memory of Mr. James McClatchy.

Collection Type:

• Permanent Collection

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