Clutius Botanical Watercolors [Hardcover]

Claudia Swan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 30, 1998

Commissioned from an unknown artist by the Dutch pharmacist Theodorus Clutius as research material for doctors and herbalists - and later used by artists - the botanical watercolours illustrated in this book epitomize the Renaissance interest in and exploration of the natural world. They were considered lost for 40 years after World War II until their discovery in the Jagiellon University Library in Cracow, Poland. The watercolours rival those of Duerer, Leonardo and Besler for beauty and accuracy. The plants, trees, fruits and herbs reproduced here in large, facsimile-style colour plates can easily be recognized by art lovers and gardeners today: they range from rose and columbine to sweet pea, cherry, wild waterlilies with a tiny frog nestling among them, sage, thyme, rosemary and spices.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

During the Renaissance, the boundary between art and science was not as clearly drawn as it is in the information age. One of the key functions of science in da Vinci's day was to accurately and elegantly depict the denizens of the natural world, and nowhere did the scientist-artists shine more than in botanical studies. The Clutius Botanical Watercolors offers a glimpse into the world of 16th-century naturalists, who spent much time "botanizing." This particularly gorgeous collection of original (but unsigned) drawings and watercolors was owned by Theodorus Clutius, a Netherlands pharmacist, and they were used to instruct budding scientists and physicians at Leiden University.

These plant studies are exquisitely detailed and delicately colored, retaining both usefulness and beauty. Every needle on the pine bough is painstakingly rendered. Each pea leaf, tendril, and flower is accurate and dainty. Each plant in the pleasure garden, the kitchen garden, and the wild is drawn and tinted to perfection. This book is a joy to leaf through for botanists, artists, and fans of Renaissance naturalists. --Therese Littleton

Review

"...stunning portfolio of rare botanical art...much admired..." -- Natural History

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (September 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810940957
• ISBN-13: 978-0810940956
• Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 9.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,229,842 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Gorgeous!, June 5, 2006

By 

Pio (Orange County, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Clutius Botanical Watercolors (Hardcover)

This is a tall book about 12.5 inches (32 cm tall and 24 cm wide) and contains excellent quality presentations of the botanical prints of the collector Clutius [artist(s)unknown]. So you see on each white page an aged parchment that contains the botanical watercolor. The parchments are set on each page with about a one-inch surrounding border of the white background page. All the parchments are very old so their edges are a bit uneven here and there indicating their age and their true paper-making origin. No machine churned out perfect sheets back then. The watercolors themselves are absolutely exquisite and their skilled presentation by the author makes you feel like you are actually paging through the actual collection. She chose 142 watercolors from the collection of 1,800. The artist(s) may be unknown but their skill would have guaranteed them widespread fame today if they had autographed their works. I am a modest collector of botanical books and I just feel so peaceful and content paging through them. This is my favorite book. Even at Amazon's $45 price tag, which I did not pay, I consider this book worth it. Barely, but still worth it! And I am a real skinflint so I don't say this lightly! If you love botanical books, you will treasure this one.