Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2152696 in Books
• Published on: 1996-08-01
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.05" h x 9.35" w x 11.72" l, 3.15 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Sherwood's interest in botany began at age nine, while watching her mother drawing in her studio; then she studied botany at Oxford and earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry. Her career path meandered alongside her husband's, an entrepreneur who resurrected the Orient Express, until a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew prompted her to start collecting contemporary flower paintings. On her travels, Sherwood sought out artists in Rio de Janeiro, South Africa and Australia, among other places, though the abundance of botanical illustrators (mostly women) live in her native England. More than 100 artists from all corners of the earth, with subtly differing styles in botanical painting, are included in here: Arundhati Vartak's (India) Indian Coral Tree calls to mind a page of a royal illuminated manuscript, while Pamela Stagg's (England) Black Parrot Tulip elicits the frenzy of Dutch tulipmania with its rippled beauty. Each artist's spread is accompanied by a short biography or a story explaining how Sherwood acquired the particular work. Professor Jinyong Feng spoke through an uncooperative translator in Beijing while showing his portfolio. Katie Lee of Kenya describes the setting in which she found an exotic yellow orchid on the Rio Negro in Brazil: So pure black was the water, and perfect the reflection it was hard not to be tempted to reach in the water and touch the blossoms. Such descriptions combined with sumptuous, full-page illustrations make this a book that will appeal to botanists, those nostalgic for 18th-century nature painting or anyone who just wants to page through delicate and beautiful images.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Sherwood, a botanist and trustee of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, rekindled her interest in botanical illustration when the Kew Gardens Gallery opened in 1990. Since then, she has acquired a remarkable collection of contemporary botanical art representing artists from 17 countries. To promote revived interest in botanical art and share her collection with the world, she has published this book in conjunction with a traveling exhibition. It is beautifully illustrated with page after page of exquisite reproductions. Sherwood has arranged each artist alphabetically, with brief comments on their background and her personal encounters with them. At least one full-color reproduction appears on the facing page, with some additional detail images that allow closer study of the artists' technique. There is no index to the specimens themselves, but title, size, and medium are noted with each work. More than mere scientific documentation, these images offer transcendence to a world of botanical delight. An excellent addition for art and botanical libraries as well as public libraries with an interest in the subject.?Judith Lesso, Health Sciences Lib., West Virginia Univ.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
The fine art of botanical illustration enjoys a long, illustrious history in Great Britain. Likewise, outstanding work by contemporary artists is highly regarded, while a concurrent interest in collecting shows the range of styles and approaches artists take when documenting the beauty and the botany of plants. Replete with compelling images, this book celebrates the private collection of Shirley Sherwood--a cornucopia of paintings crafted by some 100 artists residing in more than a dozen countries. Sherwood's energetic collecting and passionate approach to the subject have brought about a stunning assemblage certain to delight anyone with a love of art or fascination with horticulture. These glorious images, together with Sherwood's brief narrative descriptions, promise to serve readers well, offering up their brilliance in lieu of a visit to the tropics, or to delight the plant-starved eye. Alice Joyce
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