William Bartram's love of nature led him to explore the environs of the American Southeast between 1773 and 1777. Here he collected plants and seeds, kept a journal of his observations of nature, and made drawings of the plants and animals he encountered. The completed drawings were sent to his patron in London, and these make up the bulk of the collection held at London's Natural History Museum.
The Art and Science of William Bartram brings together, for the first time, all sixty-eight drawings by Bartram held at the Natural History Museum, along with works by some of the most well-known natural history artists of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The volume explores Bartram's writings and artwork and reveals how influential he was in American science of the period. Bartram was an inspiration to a whole generation of young scientists and field naturalists. He was an authority on the birds of North America and on the lifestyle, culture, and language of the indigenous people of the regions through which he traveled. His work influenced Wordsworth, Coleridge, and other writers and poets throughout the past two hundred years, and his drawings reveal an ecological understanding of nature that only truly developed in the latter half of the nineteenth century.

The Art and Science of William Bartram

Arts & Photography

Magee, Judith

History & Criticism

Penn State University Press

A unique collection of botanical, zoological, and entomological drawings depicting the natural history of ChinaThis collection is a selection of some of the finest examples of Chinese natural history drawings from the 18th and 19th centuries, many of which have never been published before. Commissioned and collected during the early 19th century by John Reeves and his son, and now housed in the Natural History Museum in London, these outstanding images are important not only for their striking beauty but also for their scientific significance. Sent to China in 1812, John Reeves was a tea inspector for the East India Company and a keen amateur naturalist who commissioned hundreds of scientific drawings from local artists, which were then sent to Britain. Despite often being highly stylized, the images helped to further European knowledge of Chinese natural history during a time when access to the country was severely restricted. Through their dedicated and enthusiastic work, Reeves and his son helped pave the way for some of the great explorers and collectors that followed.

Chinese Art and the Reeves Collection (Images of Nature)

Natural History Museum, London

A beautiful collection of Indian natural history drawings from the 18th to the 20th centuries
This book presents many of the beautiful images in the Library of Natural History Museum in London, from fine botanical and zoological illustrations through to depictions of colorful artifacts and trinkets purchased in local markets. The artworks originate from a variety of sources that include individual artists and collectors as well as organized studies of Indian natural history in the pursuit of science, commerce, and politics. Spanning a period of more than 200 years, from the 18th to the 20th centuries, they depict the rich variety of animals, birds, and insects to be found in India and the magnificent flora of the different regions. They were produced by European and Indian artists who worked to advance the understanding of Indian natural history by recording, describing, classifying, and naming the flora and fauna of the country.

The Art of India (Images of Nature)

History

Asia

Art of Nature is an astonishing visual record of the exploration of parts of the natural world that had never previously been documented. It features many of the greatest natural history artists of the last 300 years—Merian, Bartram, Ehret, the Bauer brothers, Audubon, and Gould. Some were seeking fame as scientists or artists, others sought financial gain or at least the prospect of earning a living in what they loved doing. For some it also provided them with the opportunity to present their view of nature to a wider community. Whatever the reasons, few would have contradicted Humboldt’s comment that he was "spurred on by an uncertain longing for what is distant and unknown, for whatever excited my fantasy: danger at sea, the desire for adventures, to be transported from a boring daily life to a marvellous world." Continent by continent, Judith Magee draws on the unrivaled collections of the Library of the Natural History Museum in London to illustrate the development of natural history art through the centuries and its crucial role in furthering people’s appreciation of nature all around the world.

Art of Nature: Three Centuries of Natural History Art from Around the World

Science & Math

Nature & Ecology

Rare Treasures: From the Library of the Natural History Museum

Each book presented here has been chosen for its scientific and artistic merit, and each one is accompanied by an essay from a museum expert, explaining its role in the development of natural history. The books featured include the oldest book in the Library, the 1469 edition of Pliny the Elder’s Historia Naturalis; Albertus Seba’s striking Locupletissimi Rerum published from 1734; Mark Catesby’s The History of Carolina, Florida and the Bahama Islands, the first published account of the flora and fauna of this area; and the stunning line drawings from Napoleon’s expedition to Egypt in 1798. The Library of the Natural History Museum contains one of the most exciting and comprehensive collections of natural history literature and artworks to be found anywhere in the world.

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Antiques & Collectibles

A remarkable visual journey through the exploration of the natural world, Art and Nature features many of the greatest natural history artists of the last 300 years, including John James Audubon, William Bartram, and brothers Franz and Ferdinand Bauer. Whether seeking fame, fortune, or simply the opportunity to share their breathtaking vision of nature, these scientists and artists were, in the words of Alexander von Humboldt, "spurred on by an uncertain longing for what is distant and unknown, for whatever excited my fantasy: danger at sea, the desire for adventures, to be transported from a boring daily life to a marvelous world." Continent by continent, Judith Magee draws on the unrivalled collections of the Library of the Natural History Museum, London, to illustrate the development of natural history art through the centuries, demonstrating its crucial role in promoting humanity’s appreciation of nature’s wonders.

Art and Nature: Three Centuries of Natural History Art from Around the World

Greystone Books

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