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Colour illustration of a flower set against a Greek column

Capturing Nature

The Temple of Flora or Garden of the Botanist, Poet, Painter & Philosopher

Robert John Thornton

1799-1807


The Temple of Flora or Garden of the Botanist, Poet, Painter & Philosopher is the third volume of Robert Thornton’s massive work, New Illustration of the Sexual System of Carolus von Linnaeus, printed in London by T Bensley.

Inspired by Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus, whose system of plant classification revolutionised botany, Thornton’s approach ranges from objective study to affectionate sentimentality.

He set many of his closely-observed depictions of specimens within broader landscapes.

Determined to produce a work that would surpass the scholarship of German botanical texts and the artistry of those from France, Thornton employed the finest British artists and engravers of his day.