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.
Type Blackwell into search on my website to see many I’ve sold over the years.
Above an,
Early 18th English country oak chest of drawers.
The well patinated two plank moulded top, above two short and three long
graduated fruitwood lined drawers, surrounded by half round mouldings,
double panelled sides, resting on the original turned bun style feet.
Later decorative brass work.
C.1720
H.91cm W.96cm D.53cm
Remarkable, The botanicals and chest were made within a decade of each other.
Arrived in showroom recently, one of the largest botanical collections I’ve purchased at one time.
Including,
Original hand coloured copper engravings by Elizabeth Blackwell 1730
Type Blackwell into search on my website to see many I’ve sold over the years.
Singular or framed in groups.
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
See detailed description of his monumental work below.
Several of these I’ve never stocked before.
Type Besler into search on my website to see many examples I’ve sold over the years…
Prints from the first edition of Hortus Estettensis by Basil Besler.
Basil Besler (1561-1629) was a Nuremberg apothecary who had as his patron the Prince Bishop of Eicstatt (near Nuremberg).
While in charge of the bishop’s elaborate gardens, Besler, with the financial support of his patron, undertook his great project of botanical illustration, “Hortus Eystettensis” (Garden of Eicstatt).
Off and on for sixteen years he created drawings which, with the help of six skilled engravers, were turned into two large folio volumes of 374 plates, illustrating more than one thousand flowers.
The prints were arranged by seasons, with the plants shown whole and life size. The first edition of Hortus Eysttensis was published in 1613.
Besler’s monumental florilegium invites the use of superlatives when describing it. It was the most comprehensive as well as the largest early work of its kind.
It is also one of the most delightfully drawn and visually impressive every made.
Each plate is wonderfully designed with the rhythmic pattern of the roots and stems, as well as the calligraphic invention of the lettering fully developed.
These are truly joyous prints from one of the most outstanding works of botanical illustration of all time. Copper engravings with expert hand colouring.
Some with typical text showing through and minor spots.
These wonderful rare hand coloured copper engravings hung in my home for many years.
Now too wide to fit into my apartment, I’m selling.
1830 H.77cm W.175cm
Photography by Russell Winnell Photography
Pierre-Joseph Redouté, (10 July 1759 – 19 June 1840), was a painter and botanist from Belgium, known for his watercolours of roses, lilies and other flowers at the Château de Malmaison,
many of which were published as large, coloured stipple engravings.
He was nicknamed “the Raphael of flowers” and has been called the greatest botanical illustrator of all time.
In 1786, Redouté began to work at the National Museum of Natural History cataloguing the collections of flora and fauna and participating in botanical expeditions.
In 1787, he left France to study plants at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew near London, returning the following year. In 1792 he was employed by the French Academy of Sciences.
In 1798, Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais, the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, became his patron and, some years later, he became her official artist. In 1809,
Redouté taught painting to Princess Adélaïde of Orléans.
By Jan Kip and Leonard Knyff
1720
57 x 70cm
Johannes “Jan” Kip Amsterdam 1652 – 1722
Jan Kip was a Dutch draftsman, engraver and print dealer.
Kip and Leonard Knyff, made a speciality of engraved aerial views of English country houses and estates.
Personally, I find his work astounding and so ahead of his time.
Kip remains my favourite of all architectural artists.
*Maison du Seigneur
*Burlington House Pickadilly
Kip was a pupil of Bastiaen Stopendaal (1636–1707), from 1668 to 1670, before setting up on his own; his earliest dated engravings are from 1672. In April 1680, at the age of 27, he married Elisabeth Breda in Amsterdam.[1] After producing works for the court of William of Orange in Amsterdam, Kip followed William and Mary to London and settled in St. John Street in Farringdon, where he conducted a thriving printselling business. He also worked for various London publishers producing engravings after such artists as Francis Barlow (c. 1626–1704) and Caius Gabriel Cibber (1630–1700), largely for book illustrations. He made several engraved plates for Awnsham & John Churchill’s A Collection of Voyages & Travels (first published 1704). He signed the African scenes in volume V of the 1732 edition as “J. Kip”.
His most important works were the large fold-out folio illustrations for Britannia Illustrata, 1708; for the 65 folio plates he engraved for the antiquary Sir Robert Atkyns, The Ancient and Present State of Glostershire, 1712 (1st edition); and for Le Nouveau Théâtre de la Grande Bretagne ou description exacte des palais de la Reine, et des Maisons les plus considerables des des Seigneurs & des Gentilshommes de la Grande Bretagne, 1715, an extended reprint in collaboration with other artists.
The first complete flora from the East Indies. A very fine example of copper engraving.
My favourite botanical master of the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries.
1686 ‘Hortus Indicus’ was published in Amsterdam.
To me, he was the master. Posted are several of his more attractive florals.
My showroom always boasts at least six Draakestein’s.
Also, in my apartment I have one, but once completed hanging, I’m sure I’ll place at least one more.
On top of his distinctive style, he wrote the name of each subject to the top right of each page in, Latin, Malaysian, Indian and Arabic.
Truly fascinating.
These natural shapes and colours blend with period furniture so well, whereas bright loud flowers can take the attention away from the piece or entire display.
Well, that’s how I see the scheme of things…
These are ‘Buddha’s Hand’
From East Asia.
They sit so well on 18th-19th century English pewter chargers and compliment my beautiful 18th century English country oak chest of drawers.
As well as the Mid 17th century hand coloured copper engraving ’pseudo struthium’ by Basil Besler 1640 (above).
Loving my time spent creating displays in my showroom.
18th Century English country oak and walnut X-banded chest of drawers AA2128
The rectangular walnut x-banded oak top, above two short, then three long walnut x-banded, cock-beaded drawers, having brass stuart-drop handles.
Mali Moir – Epaulette shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum)
Watercolour on 100% Cotton
1225 cm x 55 cm
$3900
The Epaulette shark (Hemiscyllium ocellatum) is a species of longtailed carpet shark, family Hemiscylliidae, found in shallow, tropical waters off Australia and New Guinea (and possibly elsewhere). The common name of this shark comes from the very large, white-margined black spot behind each pectoral fin, which are reminiscent of military epaulettes. A small species usually under 1 m (3.3 ft) long, the epaulette shark has a slender body with a short head and broad, paddle-shaped paired fins. The caudal peduncle (to which the tail fin is attached) comprises over half the shark’s length. Adults are light brown above, with scattered darker spots and indistinct saddles.
