This exquisite rendering of Bateman Pl. 14, Odontoglossum Alexandrae captures the orchid’s graceful shape and soft, dappled colors in astonishing detail.
Printed on 21 â…ž” x 15 ¼” ivory paper, the hand-colored lithograph provides an immersive experience of the flower in all its wondrous delicacy and detail. A refreshing adornment to your living space, office, or kitchen, Bateman’s exquisite and enchanting flowers will immediately elevate any environment.
About Bateman’s A Monograph of Odontoglossum
James Bateman’s A Monograph of Odontoglossum (1864 – 1874) comprises 30 large-scale lithographs with hand-applied color depicting various orchid species. With no more than 300 copies produced, the folio is rare and the prints are superb examples of 19th-century botanical art.
About James Bateman
Born a nobleman at Redivals near Bury, England, James Bateman (1811 – 1897) wrote extensively on the subject of orchids and became one of the early developers of orchid culture. He is particularly known for his significant contributions to orchid botany and his lectures on the subject greatly increased the plant’s popularity in England. Encouraged by his father to pursue his interest in horticulture, as a young man of 23 he hired a botanical collector to go to Guyana in search of orchids and later sponsored expeditions to Mexico and South America that enabled collectors to gather rare specimens. He pioneered “cool orchid cultivation” a process that allowed the Odontoglossum to be cultivated in England, duplicating the cool arid climate of the cloud forests in Central and South America where these exotic flowers are found. His publication A Monograph of Odontoglossum (1864 – 1874) contains 30 large-scale hand-colored lithographs of this remarkable and delicate genus.
For more information about Bateman Pl. 14, Odontoglossum Alexandrae, email us at [email protected] or check out our articles The Historical Significance of Botanical Illustration and What is a Lithograph?