|
The Temple of Flora : Robert John Thornton | 
| Author: Prof Dr Werner Dressendrfer
Creator: Petra Lamers-schuetze
Publisher: TASCHEN America Llc
Category: Book
List Price: $150.00
Buy New: $85.00
You Save: $65.00 (43%)
New (22) Used (6) from $85.00
Rating:  2 reviews
Sales Rank: 324585
Format: Illustrated, Large Print
Media: Hardcover
Edition: Box Set Portfolio
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 110
Shipping Weight (lbs): 13
Dimensions (in): 25.3 x 18.5 x 2
ISBN: 3822852732
Dewey Decimal Number: 704
EAN: 9783822852736
ASIN: 3822852732
Publication Date: October 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The complete reprint of all color plates from Robert John Thornton's monumental work The Temple of Flora, first published in London in 1799. Presented as 35 loose-leaf Elephant folio-sized color prints as well as a booklet including an introduction and the original texts of the 31 botanical plates
The year 1799 witnessed the first installment of a work that has gone down in history as one of the most remarkable books of botanical plates ever published. Two centuries have passed since the publication of Robert John Thornton's The Temple of Flora, but its charm remains unsullied today. Although trained as a medical doctor, Thornton (c. 1768 1837) passionately devoted himself to botany, a study that had only a few decades earlier established itself as a modern science through Carl Linnaeus`s revolutionary new system of botanic classification based on the structure of blossoms. Thornton greatly honored the ingenious Swedish scientist and wished his own prodigious undertaking to serve as an ultimate monument to the great botanist.
Today, Thornton`s large-format plates with their allegorical depictions and stunning floral portraits number among supreme achievements of botanical illustration. Thornton engaged the most renowned flower painters of his age and spared no cost in the creation of this unique work. His reckless enthusiasm, however, reduced his originally considerable fortune so drastically that, sanctioned by Parliament, Thornton had to organize a botanical lottery in order to bring his spectacular project to a provisional end. Surviving complete editions of the Temple number today among the great treasures of only a few libraries; meanwhile, the individual plates have become sought-after and extremely expensive collectors` items, whose particular allure lies in their unusual combination of at times exotic plant motifs with highly romantic background landscapes. More than any other floral painting, the bewitchingly illuminated blossoms of the "Queen Plant," posed before darkening ruins, expresses the late 18th century sentiment that in the following decades found its characteristic expression in European Romantic literature and painting. Including all the plates of the Temple of Flora as loose-leaf color prints, this large-format edition represents a consummate reprint of the work. In addition to the botanical and cultural historical explanations of the individual plate illustrations, the volume narrates the history of the origin of the work and the life of its author. This resplendent reprint has been made from one of the finest complete original copies, belonging to the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis.
TASCHEN s Temple of Flora consists of the following, packaged in a presentation case:
a 44-page booklet including author Werner Dressendörfer s introduction as well as the texts of the 31 botanical plates
33 loose-leaf Elephant folio-sized color prints for browsing or framing
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Inventory Your Set for Missing Plates November 27, 2008
I was quite pleased with this set of beautiful plates until I inventoried them against the history provided in the included booklet. I was missing the first plate! It is almost certainly not Amazon's fault as the outer and inner boxes were cellophane-sealed. So this is an "omission" at the production level. Really a disappointment and a hassle as I always HATE having to go the post office and stand in line for send-backs, and especially this time of year. If the replacement set is missing a plate, the thing goes back for a refund...this is nice, but the hassle-factor is always a prime consideration for me.
 Excellent reproduction of original portfolio November 17, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This reproduction of the famous Temple of Flora is of exceptionally high quality. Taschen, who usually pull out all the stops for their releases, has recreated this portfolio at it's original oversized edition with all prints presented loose and on archival paper. The package also contains a book with a history of the work and comes packaged in a lovely clamshell box.
A wonderful item for collectors of botanicals or book lovers.
|
|
|
Copyright 2008 - Garden-Guidebooks.com | |
