Green things and green spaces offer respite - a moment away from challenging days and events.
Botanical Illustrations and deeply looking at plants themselves invite us to explore nature with fresh eyes.
Before photography, people depended upon artists and illustrators to share the beauty of botany with the world. Botanical illustrations were used by physicians, pharmacists, botanical scientists and gardeners. The art of botanical illustration can be traced back to Greece sometime between 50 and 70 CE.
Throughout history, we see examples of these illustrations, and plants as inspiration for artists across media. Some inspiration has resulted in playful/surreal anthropomorphic images.
Prompt: Using inspiration from the plant world, create an image that incorporates both human and botanical features.
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The work of a 15th Century Italian illustrator
Learn More About Botanical Illustration
The work of a 15th Century Italian illustrator
The work of a 15th Century Italian illustrator
Explore the Whimsical Flora of a 15th-Century Italian Folio
19th-Century Victorian writer and artist Edward Lear
Edward Lear's Nonsense Botany (1871–77) – The Public Domain Review
20th-century French-American artist Louise Bourgeois
Louise Bourgeois and Topiary: The Art of Improving Nature
Best known for her large-scale sculpture and installation art, Louise Bourgeois was also a prolific printmaker. She has referred to a plant or a tree as ‘a symbol of a person ... It has a right to exist, to grow and to procreate.’
19th-Century Victorian writer and artist Edward Lear
20th-century French-American artist Louise Bourgeois
19th-Century Victorian writer and artist Edward Lear
