Metadata
Title
Temple of flora, or, Garden of nature, being picturesque, botanical, coloured plates of select plants, illustrative of the same, with descriptions
Alternative Title
New illustration of the sexual system of Carolus von Linnaeus
Creator
Thornton, Robert John, 1768?-1837
Publisher
London : Published by Dr. Thornton.
Date
1799-1807
Description
Temple of Flora was first published as the concluding part (pt. 3) of Thornton's larger work: New illustration of the sexual system of Carolus von Linnaeus (1807)
The Temple of flora was issued with a separate engraved titlepage contained on 2 leaves, bearing the date 1799; the text consisted of descriptions of the plants, poetry and miscellaneous material.
Plates are primarily aquatints and mezzotints executed by a variety pf artists and engravers; signed by artists: Russel [Russell], Opie, Reinagle, Perther, S. Edwards, Thornton and Henderson; and engravers: Caldwall, Burke, Ward, Elmes, Warner, Earlom, Lewis and Hopwood, Sutherland, Medland, Dunkarton, Stadler and Landseers.
"Originally published in parts between 1799 and 1807; published in book form with additional material and plates in 1807"--ESTC.
The work was first advertised in 1797, and seems to have been issued in parts at twenty-five shillings each between 1799 and 1807; no two copies are exactly alike as Thornton made up copies using different combinations of plates.
Most plates with date and publishing information printed at bottom, others have date added in pencil; many plates are in 2nd (or later state) according to Grigson in Thornton's Temple of flora (1972)
Plates are arranged in the order in which they appear in the original contents sheet. Cf. Grigson, G. Thornton's Temple of flora, 1972.
The Temple of flora was issued with a separate engraved titlepage contained on 2 leaves, bearing the date 1799; the text consisted of descriptions of the plants, poetry and miscellaneous material.
Plates are primarily aquatints and mezzotints executed by a variety pf artists and engravers; signed by artists: Russel [Russell], Opie, Reinagle, Perther, S. Edwards, Thornton and Henderson; and engravers: Caldwall, Burke, Ward, Elmes, Warner, Earlom, Lewis and Hopwood, Sutherland, Medland, Dunkarton, Stadler and Landseers.
"Originally published in parts between 1799 and 1807; published in book form with additional material and plates in 1807"--ESTC.
The work was first advertised in 1797, and seems to have been issued in parts at twenty-five shillings each between 1799 and 1807; no two copies are exactly alike as Thornton made up copies using different combinations of plates.
Most plates with date and publishing information printed at bottom, others have date added in pencil; many plates are in 2nd (or later state) according to Grigson in Thornton's Temple of flora (1972)
Plates are arranged in the order in which they appear in the original contents sheet. Cf. Grigson, G. Thornton's Temple of flora, 1972.
Subject
Botany--Pictorial works.
Flowers in art.
Flowers--Pictorial works.
Botanical illustration.
Format
[28] leaves of plates : all ill. ; 52 cm.
Extent
INCOMPLETE: Volume consists of [28] colored plates, not the [31] as issued by Thornton, and does not include the accompanying text, frontispiece, title page leaves or the contents page; Athenaeum copy missing 3 plates: "Flora dispensing her favours on the earth" (Plate I), "Tulips" (Plate X) and "Narrow-leaved Kalmia" (Plate XXVII); 4 have their alternate plates substituted: "A group of Auriculas (two)" substitutes for "A group of Auriculas (four)"; "The queen flower" for "The queen"; "The American aloe" for "The aloe"; and "American bog plants" for "Pitcher plant". Cf. Grigson, G. Thornton's Temple of flora, (1972)
Plates are dated 1799-1807 with the exception of "Queen flower" which bears the printed date of 1812.
Plates are dated 1799-1807 with the exception of "Queen flower" which bears the printed date of 1812.
Medium
Disbound plates; housed in protective box.
Provenance
Athenaeum copy: Gift of Peter J. Koblenzer.