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Blackwell - 3 framed prints - 1730 - CGW134474-50

Blackwell – 3 framed prints – 1730 – CGW134474-50

Elizabeth Blackwell (nee Blachrie) was among the first women to achieve fame as a botanical illustrator.

She was born in Aberdeen in about 1700, but moved to London after she married.

She undertook an ambitious project to raise money to pay her husband’s debts and release him from debtors’ prison. Her project was a book called ‘A Curious Herbal’.

She learned that physicians required a reference book which documented the medicinal qualities of plants and herbs. In order to develop the publication she examined and drew specimens of plants available in the Chelsea Physic Garden. Sir Hans Sloane provided financial support to publish ‘A Curious Herbal’.

Elizabeth Blackwell is notable for being one of the first botanical artists to personally etch and engrave her own designs. This saved the expense of hiring a professional engraver. In total, the enterprise took Blackwell six full years to complete and in the end she was able to release her husband from prison.

‘A Curious Herbal’ was published between 1737 and 1739. The book contained the first illustrations of many odd-looking, unknown plants from the New World.

64.5 cm x 51.5 cm

Draakestein - 'Tenga' (F2) - 1686

Draakestein – ‘Tenga’ (F2) – 1686

Hortus Indicus Malabaricus

‘Tenga’

Hendrik Draakestein

The first complete flora from the East Indies. A very fine example of hand coloured copper engraving.

Amsterdam

1686

62 cm x 75 cm

CGW381539-3

Draakestein - 'Kaida' (F3) - 1686

Draakestein – ‘Kaida’ (F3) – 1686

Hortus Indicus Malabaricus

‘Kaida’

Hendrik Draakestein

The first complete flora from the east Indies. A very fine example of hand coloured copper engraving.

Amsterdam

1686

62 cm x 75 cm (framed)

39 cm x 48.5 cm (unframed)

CGW381539-2

Trew - 'Bananas' - 1750 - CGW134463/8

Trew – ‘Bananas’ – 1750 – CGW134463/8

‘Bananas’ Plantae Selectae published by Cristoph Jacob Trew in Nuremberg in 1750. Copper engraving with original hand colour. Trew was a physician and botanist and published his works based on the drawings of Ehret, highly acclaimed artist and ‘gardener’ of his time, The author of the order of plants as we know it today, was so impressed by this work he wrote ‘The miracles of our century in the natural sciences are your work’. To this day these engravings remain some of the most highly acclaimed and sort after botanical interpretations.

1750

H.frame – 80 cm, engraving – 53 cm W.frame – 63 cm, engraving – 37 cm

Trew - 'Narcissus' - 1750

Trew – ‘Narcissus’ – 1750

‘Narcissus’

Plantae Selectae published by Cristoph Jacob Trew in Nuremberg in 1750.

Copper engraving with original hand colour.

1750

Trew - 'Cereus' - 1750

Trew – ‘Cereus’ – 1750

Cereus Plantae Selectae published by Cristoph Jacob Trew in Nuremberg in 1750. Copper engraving with original hand colour.

1750

R. Fihya - 1973

R. Fihya – 1973

Stock AA1538a

A 20th Century acrylic on board ‘group of distorted figures’, signed by R. Fihya ’73

1973

56 cm x 51 cm

Munting - 1696

Munting – 1696

Munting Late 17thCentury hand coloured copper plate botanical engraving.

1696