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James Sowerby's English Botany (1860s)

Original hand-coloured lithographs over 150 years old

Sheet size: approximately 6.25 x 9.75 inches

James Sowerby
James Sowerby
—painted by Thomas Heaphy (1816)
 

Having decided to become a painter of flowers his first venture was with William Curtis, whose Flora Londinensis he illustrated. Sowerby studied art at the Royal Academy and took an apprenticeship with Richard Wright.

An early commission for Sowerby was to lead to his prominence in the field when the botanist, L'Hértier de Brutelle invited Sowerby to provide the plates for his monograph, Geranologia, and two later works. He also came to the notice of William Curtis, who was undertaking a new type of publication. Early volumes of the first British botany journal, The Botanical Magazine, contained seventy of his works.

In 1790, he began the first of several huge projects: a 36-volume work on the botany of England that was published over the next 24 years, contained 2592 hand-coloured engravings and became known as Sowerby's English Botany. An enormous number of plants were to receive their formal publication, but the authority for these came from the unattributed text written by James Edward Smith.


PLEASE CLICK ON THE THUMBNAIL IMAGES FOR AN ENLARGED VIEW

Hare's-ear Cabbage

Hare's-ear Cabbage

Erysimum orientale
PLATE 101
$39.95
light browning around edges of paper, a few fox marks
Treacle hedge-mustard

Hare's-ear Cabbage

Erysimum Cheiranthoides
PLATE 102
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper
Dame's Rocket

Dame's Rocket

Hesperis matronalis
PLATE 103
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper
Alpine Rock-cress

Alpine Rock-cress

Arabis petraea
PLATE 113
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper, faint fox mark just above top of plant
Bristol Rock-cress

Bristol Rock-cress

Arabis stricta
PLATE 114
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper, faint fox marks
Fringed Rock-cress

Fringed Rock-cress

Arabis ciliata
PLATE 117
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper, scattered light fox marks
Tower Wall-cress

Tower Wall-cress

Arabis Turrita
PLATE 118
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper, scattered light fox marks
Reichenbach's Yellow-rocket

Reichenbach's Yellow-rocket

Barbarea arcuata
PLATE 121
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper, scattered light fox marks
Intermediate Yellow-rocket

Intermediate Yellow-rocket

Barbarea intermedia
PLATE 123
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper, scattered light fox marks
American Cress

American Cress

Barbarea praecox
PLATE 124
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper
Water-cress

Water-cress

Nasturtium officinale
PLATE 125
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper, some light foxing
Creeping Yellow-cress

Creeping Yellow-cress

Nasturtium sylvestre
PLATE 126
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper, some light foxing
Great Yellow-cress

Great Yellow-cress

Nasturtium amphibium
PLATE 128
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper, some light foxing
Horse-radish

Horse-radish

Cochlearia Armoracia
PLATE 129
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper, some light foxing
Common Scurvy-grass

Common Scurvy-grass

Cochlearia officinalis
PLATE 130
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper, some light foxing
Mountain Scurvy-grass

Mountain Scurvy-grass

Cochlearia alpina
PLATE 131
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper, some light foxing
Hastate-leaved Scurvy-grass

Hastate-leaved Scurvy-grass

Cochlearia danica
PLATE 132
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper
Long-leaved Scurvy-grass

Long-leaved Scurvy-grass

Cochlearia anglica
PLATE 133
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper
Common Whitlow-grass

Common Whitlow-grass

Draba-eu-verna, Draba brachycarpa, Draba inflata
PLATE 134
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper
Speedwell-leaved Whitlow-grass

Speedwell-leaved Whitlow-grass

Draba muralis
PLATE 135
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper, light fox marks
Twisted-podded Whitlow-grass

Twisted-podded Whitlow-grass

Draba incana
PLATE 136
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper, light fox marks
Yellow Alpine Whitlow-grass

Yellow Alpine Whitlow-grass

Draba aizoides
PLATE 138
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper, light fox marks
Calyeine Alyssum

Calyeine Alyssum

Alyssum calycinum
PLATE 139
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper, light fox marks
Perfoliate Penny-cress

Perfoliate Penny-cress

Thlaspi perfoliatum
PLATE 145
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper, light fox marks
Short-styled Alpine Penny-cress

Short-styled Alpine Penny-cress

Thlaspi slyvestre
PLATE 145
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper
Long-styled Alpine Penny-cress

Long-styled Alpine Penny-cress

Thlaspi occitanum
PLATE 147
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper
Green Alpine Penny-cress

Green Alpine Penny-cress

Thlaspi virens
PLATE 148
$39.95
typical light browning around edges of paper
          
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