A Guide to Collecting Antique Botanical Prints

Likewise, gardeners sometimes turned to botanical publications as manuals for cultivating particular plant or fruit varietals as is the case with George Brookshaw’s Pomona Brittanica. Catering to the botanical trends of the day, Brookshaw’s folio was intended to cultivate the tastes of higher-class gentlemen so that they might instruct their gardeners on implementing fashionable fruit varietals. Similarly, Robert Furber’s The Twelve Months of the Year in Flowers acts as a guide to planting seasonal blossoms throughout the year.

What type of botanical prints are there?

Following the developmental trajectory of printmaking, botanical prints were rendered through a variety of methods including woodblock printing, engraving, and lithography. The multiplicity of these techniques allowed the images to be disseminated on a larger scale, facilitating both the practical and aesthetic uses of the prints.

Many early representations of plants were woodblock prints, but as printing technologies advanced, 16th-century botanical artists adopted engraving techniques that facilitated the representation of delicate plants. In fact, artists such as Pierre-Joseph Redoute and Pierre-Antoine Poiteau relied on a specific form of engraving called stipple engraving to capture the soft forms and delicate textures of the plants they rendered through dots rather than harsh contour lines. Similarly, the end of the 18th century introduced lithography, a new printing technique that proved enticing to artists because of its similarity to drawing.

How have these antique prints survived?

Many of these venerable botanical prints have survived the centuries by being bound in folios. While we might be familiar with the sight of a framed botanical print, it may surprise some collectors to discover that many antique botanical prints were initially issued in bound volumes. The book format often aids in preserving individual prints because it keeps them flat and away from UV exposure. Thus we are left with richly colored prints today that can be displayed and preserved behind UV-filtering glass.  

What is appealing to collectors?

Antique botanical prints can be a surprisingly affordable genre of art that attracts collectors of all backgrounds. As with most art, collectors are often drawn to engaging compositions, rich coloring, and good condition. Additionally, because of the plentitude of botanical prints produced from the 17th-19th centuries, authorship plays a major role in determining the value of the print with works by more notable artists commanding higher values than those by lesser-known artists. Lastly, certain plant species are often more desirable than others. For example, Redoute’s Tiger Lily typically commands significantly more than his Lusitanian Garlic. 

In conclusion, botanical art is an excellent avenue for new and seasoned collectors alike. The vast range in subject matter and price means that there’s something out there for every collector. Whether one is drawn to botanical artwork for its aesthetic or didactic qualities, plant prints have historically been a mainstay in domestic spaces for centuries. Today, antique botanical prints retain their appeal as informative and aesthetically pleasing objects. Defying the inevitable decay of a living bouquet, botanical prints can last for many lifetimes, preserving history along the way.