The Superb Lily.
DateJune 1, 1799
After work by
Philip Reinagle (1749-1833)
Engraver
Richard Earlom
1743 - 1822
Publisher
Dr. Robert John Thornton
1768? - 1837
OriginEngland, London
MediumMezzotint engraving printed in color and finished by hand
DimensionsFramed H: 31 3/8" Framed W: 25 3/8"
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number1988-410
DescriptionThe lower margin reads: "The Superb Lily./ Reinagle pinx.t/ Earlom sculp.t/ London, Published June 1, 1799, by D.r Thornton."Label TextDr. Robert John Thornton published the large folio prints of The Temple of Flora as a tribute to the discoveries of the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus. Life-sized flowers are placed against dramatic, sometimes startling, landscape backgrounds depicting the natural habitats of the plants. The lavishly engraved plates are the most unusual botanical illustrations of the period; never before had so much of the landscape been included when depicting a specific plant.ProvenanceBefore 1988, W. Graham Arader III (New York, NY); 1988-present, purchased by the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA).
