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Country Living Quotes Leila Lyons on Botanical Prints
May 1, 2006
Antique engravings that feature flowers, fruits, and vegetables originally were intended to be more than just pretty pictures. "Early botanical prints were meant to be instructive," expains Leila Lyons, owner of the Palo Alto, California-based gallery Lyons Limited Antique Prints. "From the late-15th century to the 19th century, these prints introduced people to plants, flowers, fruits, and vegetables that they may have never seen before." Here, Lyons offers insights and advice for collectors:
-Nineteenth-century botanicals are especially plentiful in the marketplace today, because artists made them in larger quantities for the growing middle class who could afford them.
-Botanical prints were originally bound in books. In the 20th century, prints were removed and sold individually.
-French artist Pierre Joseph Redoute (1759-1840) was considered one of the most successful flower painters in his day. Other artists included Basil Bessler and Jane Webb Loudon.
-Prices for prints range from $100 to $27,000, depending on the artist and condition. Don't purchase any print that has been trimmed, glued, or has brown spots.
-Sharon Graber
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