Flowers by Curtis

"Curtis’s Botanical Magazine" (William Curtis, ca. 1795)

This journal was founded by William Curtis (1746-1799) in 1787, and is still being published to this day; it is the oldest periodical in existence featuring coloured plates, of which more than 11,000 have now been produced. The work of many acclaimed botanical artists, its volumes provide an exceptional pictorial record of floral fashions and plant introductions in Great Britain over the past two centuries.

The beautiful hand coloured plates are the chief glory of the magazine. The early examples are still largely bright and fresh, even after two hundred years. As Curtis states in the preface to the first issue, the plates were drawn 'always from the living plant, and coloured as near to nature, as the imperfection of colouring will admit'. With little chance to exert any artistic freedom, each artist had to draw the specimens exactly and accurately in order to create a scientifically authoritative work. Up to volume 70 the plates were created using copper etching, with watercolour being added to each copy. Our selection of prints were originally issued ca. 1795.