6 Stunning Historical Botanical Illustrations

Botanical Sketchbooks, a recently released book by Helen and William Bynum, compiles some of the finest botanical drawings from around the world, dating back to the 15th century.

Before photography, naturalists relied heavily on sketches. During the age of European exploration, as expeditions reached further and brought back unknown specimens, illustrations played an essential role in helping explorers, scientists, and artists comprehend previously unseen realms, a practice that continued through Darwin’s era.

A newly published illustration collection by Princeton Architectural Press delves into how artists have documented the plant world since the 15th century, examining their early drafts and simple yet significant sketches. Here are six iconic illustrations from the book.

Sketching is a relatively recent practice. The term "sketch" didn’t emerge in English until the late 17th century, derived from the German skizze or Dutch schets. As Helen and William Bynum observe, "The rise in popularity was partly linked to the accessibility of materials. Drawing became far more widespread and recognized as a legitimate activity when paper became cheaper and more abundant in 15th-century Europe. Sketches became a method of accumulating and preserving intricate visual data.”

One of the earliest known botanical sketches was created in the 1470s by the printmaker and artist Martin Schongauer, who studied three peonies from life rather than relying on memory. By 1874, as English artist and poet Edward Lear traveled through India creating landscape sketches like the one above, botanical sketching had become a well-established art form. Lear’s skill was so admired that Queen Victoria personally invited him to give her drawing lessons.

Botanical sketches vary from simple, quick lines to intricate, full-color illustrations. As Helen and William Bynum explain, "The images range from the basic to the more refined, with the key requirement being that the plants should mostly be recognizable and identifiable. The goal was to showcase a diverse array of the countless possibilities within botanical art."

The military provided some plant enthusiasts with unique opportunities to study the flora of distant lands. For example, John Champion, a British infantryman, traveled the world and sent home detailed illustrations and comprehensive notes on plants he believed to be unknown to European scientists. Two species he documented from Sri Lanka, Dalbergia championii and Xylopia championii, were later named in his honor.

Walter Hood Fitch, a renowned botanical artist, was a pioneer in using lithography for botanical illustrations during his time at London's Kew Gardens in the 19th century. By the time of his death in 1892, he had produced 12,000 botanical illustrations, many of which were published, while numerous unpublished works remain housed at Kew.

While botanical art has lost much of its popularity with the rise of photography, sketching continues to be a valued tool within scientific fields. As the German botanist Julius von Sachs famously stated, “If you haven’t drawn it, you haven’t seen it.”

You can purchase Botanical Sketchbooks for $27 on Amazon.

All images courtesy Princeton Architectural Press