Product Description

Commissioned from an unknown artist by the Dutch pharmacist Theodorus Clutius as research material for doctors and herbalists - and later used by artists - the botanical watercolours illustrated in this book epitomize the Renaissance interest in and exploration of the natural world. They were considered lost for 40 years after World War II until their discovery in the Jagiellon University Library in Cracow, Poland. The watercolours rival those of Duerer, Leonardo and Besler for beauty and accuracy. The plants, trees, fruits and herbs reproduced here in large, facsimile-style colour plates can easily be recognized by art lovers and gardeners today: they range from rose and columbine to sweet pea, cherry, wild waterlilies with a tiny frog nestling among them, sage, thyme, rosemary and spices.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #156947 in Books
• Published on: 1998-09-30
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 144 pages

From Amazon.com
During the Renaissance, the boundary between art and science was not as clearly drawn as it is in the information age. One of the key functions of science in da Vinci's day was to accurately and elegantly depict the denizens of the natural world, and nowhere did the scientist-artists shine more than in botanical studies. The Clutius Botanical Watercolors offers a glimpse into the world of 16th-century naturalists, who spent much time "botanizing." This particularly gorgeous collection of original (but unsigned) drawings and watercolors was owned by Theodorus Clutius, a Netherlands pharmacist, and they were used to instruct budding scientists and physicians at Leiden University.

These plant studies are exquisitely detailed and delicately colored, retaining both usefulness and beauty. Every needle on the pine bough is painstakingly rendered. Each pea leaf, tendril, and flower is accurate and dainty. Each plant in the pleasure garden, the kitchen garden, and the wild is drawn and tinted to perfection. This book is a joy to leaf through for botanists, artists, and fans of Renaissance naturalists. --Therese Littleton

Natural History
"...stunning portfolio of rare botanical art...much admired..."

Ingram
These exquisite watercolors epitomize the Renaissance interest in and exploration of the natural world. Commissioned from an unknown artist by the Dutch pharmacist Theodorus Clutius as research material for doctors and herbalists, and later used by artists, the illustrations range from the rose and columbine to the sweet pea and cherry, from wild waterlilies to sage, thyme, rosemary, and exotic spices. 149 illustrations, 142 in color.