13 DECEMBER 2008, Page 38

The Temple Of Flora

More than two centuries after it was completed, Robert John Thornton’s magnum opus is still virtually unsurpassed in terms of botanical illustration. By employing the foremost flower painters of the age, regardless of cost, Thornton ensured that his botanical study featured supreme examples of blossoms, plant motifs and romantic background landscapes, each coloured by hand. Only a few original copies still exist, and access to them is severely limited. This volume is the consummate edition of the revolutionary work, with the detailed close-ups underlying the beauty and artistic perfection of the prints, while the text provides information on the plates, the origins of the work and the life of its author.