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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

Spotted Persicaria

Spotted Persicaria

Polygonum Persicaria, var. genuinum
PLATE 1237
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Spotted Persicaria

Spotted Persicaria

Polygonum Persicaria, var. elatum
PLATE 1238
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Glandular Persicaria

Glandular Persicaria

Polygonum lapathifolium, var. genuinum
PLATE 1239
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Glandular Persicaria

Glandular Persicaria

Polygonum lapathifolium, var. nodosum
PLATE 1240
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Amphibious Bistort, terrestrial form

Amphibious Bistort, terrestrial form

Polygonum amphibium, terrestre
PLATE 1241
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Amphibious Bistort, aquatic form

Amphibious Bistort, aquatic form

Polygonum amphibium, natans
PLATE 1242
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Common Bistort

Common Bistort

Polygonum Bistorta
PLATE 1243
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Spurge Laurel

Spurge Laurel

Daphne Laureola
PLATE 1247
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Crow-berry

Crow-berry

Empetrum nigra
PLATE 1251
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Common Box

Common Box

Buxus sermpervirens
PLATE 1252
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Purple Spurge

Purple Spurge

Euphorbia Peplis
PLATE 1253
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail. Note narrowish right margin, also stabilized paper damage to right edge.
Bushy Warted Spurge

Bushy Warted Spurge

Euphorbia stricta
PLATE 1256
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Irish Spurge

Irish Spurge

Euphorbia hiberna
PLATE 1257
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Wood Spurge

Wood Spurge

Euphorbia amygdaloides
PLATE 1260
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Dwarf Spurge

Dwarf Spurge

Euphorbia exigus
PLATE 1266
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Common Elm

Common Elm

Ulmus suberosa, var. genuina
PLATE 1285
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Common Elm

Common Elm

Ulmus suberosa, var. glabra
PLATE 1286
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Broad-leaved Elm

Broad-leaved Elm

Ulmus montana
PLATE 1287
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Hazel

Hazel

Corylus Avellana
PLATE 1292
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail. Note paper loss left edge, outside of image area.
Hornbeam

Hornbeam

Carpinus Betulus
PLATE 1293
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
White Birch

White Birch

Betula verrucosa
PLATE 1295
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Common Birch

Common Birch

Betula glutinosa
PLATE 1296
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Dwarf Birch

Dwarf Birch

Betula nana
PLATE 1297
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Bog-Myrtle

Bog-Myrtle

Myrica Gale
PLATE 1298
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail. See watercolor black line to left of upper branch, not terribly detracting.
White Poplar

White Poplar

Populus eu-alba
PLATE 1299
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Gray Poplar

Gray Poplar

Populus canescens
PLATE 1300
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Aspen

Aspen

Populus tremula
PLATE 1301
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Black Poplar

Black Poplar

Populus nigra
PLATE 1302
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Bay-leaved Willow

Bay-leaved Willow

Salix pentandra
PLATE 1303
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Pointed-leaved Willow, male

Pointed-leaved Willow, male

Salix cuspidata, mas.
PLATE 1304
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Pointed-leaved Willow, female

Pointed-leaved Willow, female

Salix cuspidata, foemina
PLATE 1305
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
Crack Willow

Crack Willow

Salix fragilis, var. genuina
PLATE 1306
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
White Welsh Willow

White Welsh Willow

Salix fragilis, var. decipiens
PLATE 1307
$39.95
Typical light browning around paper's edges, foxing possible—please see enlargement for detail.
          
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