Botanical Prints
Panteek presents a wide range of botanical prints from the 1600s to the 1900s, with an emphasis on hand-colored works. Before the 15th century, botanical illustrations were mainly herbals and pharmacopoeia. The invention of the printing press and the Age of Exploration spurred the growth of this art form, as explorers returned with new species that were documented through illustration and cultivated in Europe’s botanical gardens. This fascination with horticulture even led to extravagances such as the Dutch Tulipomania, when bulbs sold for more than the cost of a house. Botanists and artists collaborated to create works that combined scientific accuracy with artistic beauty—an enduring legacy that continues to captivate. Highlights of the collection include: Basil Besler’s Hortus Eystettensis (1613), engraved by a team of six. William Curtis’ Botanical Magazine (1787–present), one of the most celebrated series of all time. Johann Jakob Scheuchzer’s Physica Sacra (1731), a masterpiece of copper engraving. P.J. Buchoz’s Herbier Artificiel (1783) and Les Dons Merveilleux. Jean Linden’s Iconographie des Orchidées (1885). Women artists are also represented, including Elizabeth Blackwell’s Herbarium (1757), Jane Webb Loudon’s Ornamental Perennials (1843), and Mary Vaux Walcott’s North American Wildflowers (1925).
