Pair of Botanical Engravings from The Botanic Garden by B. Maund, London c.1836
A beautiful matching pair of hand-colored botanical engravings from Benjamin Maund’s renowned work The Botanic Garden; consisting of Highly Finished Representations of Hardy Ornamental Flowering Plants Cultivated in Great Britain, Volume VII, published in London around 1836. Each sheet presents four finely engraved and delicately hand-colored studies of ornamental flowering plants, typical of Maund’s refined 19th-century botanical style.
The first plate features *Rubus fruticosus* (wild bramble) with lush pink blossoms, *Lupinus nanus* (dwarf lupine) with blue-violet spikes, *Sisyrinchium californicum* (yellow-eyed grass), and *Cyclamen vernum* with its characteristic heart-shaped leaves. The companion plate depicts *Œnothera viminea* (evening primrose), *Platystemon californicus* (cream cups), *Scilla præcox* (early squill), and *Iris swertii*, whose elegant white and violet petals are beautifully shaded.
These engravings are emblematic of the early Victorian passion for both horticultural study and aesthetic presentation. Benjamin Maund (1790–1864), Fellow of the Linnean Society, devoted his career to publishing accessible yet scholarly botanical works. His *Botanic Garden*, issued in monthly parts, combined precise plant descriptions with exquisite hand-colored copperplate engravings drawn by E.D. Smith and engraved by S. Watts. Each composition unites scientific accuracy with artistic grace, making Maund’s plates as treasured for interior decoration as for botanical study.
Condition report: Excellent early impressions with vivid, original hand-coloring. Slight toning and occasional foxing near binding margin, consistent with age. Plates otherwise clean, bright, and well-preserved.
Framing tips: These companion plates display beautifully as a pair. Use matching cream mats with thin gilt or dark wood frames to accentuate their symmetry and 19th-century charm.
Technique: Hand-colored copperplate engraving Maker: Engraved by S. Watts after E.D. Smith; published by Benjamin Maund, London, c.1836
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