Sheldrake, Timothy

These engravings, engraved by C.H. Hemmerich and James Basire, are based on drawings by Timothy Sheldrake. The plates from this work feature detailed portrayals of medicinal plants, with their flowers and fruit, bordered by an oval frame. Surrounding these quaintly framed illustrations are the Arabic, Greek, Latin, Italian, German, French, Spanish, and/or Dutch names; the part of the plant used for medicinal purposes; how it is prepared; where it grows; and it’s season of bloom. Below the oval is a short description of the plant. While the illustrations include he dissection of the various flower parts, they are not strictly scientific drawings, but rather finely decorative engravings with fanciful text and elegant descriptions. These engravings can easily be classified as botanical art, just as easily as a reference work on medicinal plants.

Prints from this publication are very rare, and feature original hand coloring.