THORNTON, Robert John (1768-1837) - photo 1
THORNTON, Robert John (1768-1837) - photo 2
THORNTON, Robert John (1768-1837) - photo 3
THORNTON, Robert John (1768-1837) - photo 4
THORNTON, Robert John (1768-1837) - photo 5

THORNTON, Robert John (1768-1837)

Lot 193
10.12.2025 12:00UTC +00:00
Classic
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CHRISTIE'S
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Lieu de l'événementRoyaume-Uni, London
Commissionsee on Website%
ID 1514458
Lot 193 | THORNTON, Robert John (1768-1837)
Valeur estimée
£ 50 000 – 70 000
THORNTON, Robert John (1768-1837)
New Illustration of the Sexual System of Carolus von Linnaeus … and the Temple of Flora, or Garden of Nature. London: T Bensley, 1799-1807[-1810].
One of the most sumptuous flower books ever produced: ‘probably the most famous of all florilegia’ (Art of Botanical illustration [1994], p.236). The plants are pictured against landscape backgrounds appropriate to their romantic spirit, creating an unusually dramatic effect. The twenty-eight celebrated plates of flowers are after paintings by Abraham Pether, Philip Reinagle, Sydenham Edwards, Peter Henderson and others, and, although a physician by training, Thornton himself provided the painting for the ‘Roses’, a particularly sumptuous plate. Ward, Earlom and Dunkarton executed the mezzotint engraving, while the aquatinting of the plates was done by Stadler and Sutherland. Although the expense incurred in the production of the work caused his ruin, Thornton created ‘the most strikingly beautiful set of flower plates ever to be printed in England, [and] one of the loveliest books in the world’ (Alan Thomas, Great Books and Book Collectors, p.144).

However, its publication history was complex, leading to Sitwell & Blunt’s assertion: ‘The book is a bibliographer’s nightmare, for hardly any two copies are quite the same’ (Great Flower Books [1990], p.42). Even the title was not used consistently; what is now universally known as The Temple of Flora is the final portion of a work which Thornton announced to the public in 1797 as a New Illustration of the Sexual System of Carolus von Linnaeus. Dedicated to Queen Charlotte, George III’s consort, the plates were very carefully directed by Thornton who was not just the publisher, but the presiding genius of the work. Influenced by contemporary aesthetic theory, no less than by the botanical discoveries of Linnaeus and their neoclassical versification by Erasmus Darwin, he selected the plants to be shown, arranged the symbolism and chose the backgrounds in a way that turned the science of botany into a drama of exotic form in visionary landscapes. Art of Botanical illustration (1994) pp.236-243 (‘most eagerly sought after of all flower books’); Cleveland Collections 722; Dunthorne 301 and 303; Great Flower Books (1990) pp.41-43 and 143; Grigson & Buchanan, Thornton’s Temple of Flora (1951); Nissen BBI 1955; Stafleu and Cowan 14283. As all collations vary, the lot is as usual sold not subject to return.

Three parts bound in two volumes, broadsheets (575 x 454mm). Part i: 36 plain engraved plates comprising: half-title ‘A British Trophy ...’, portrait of Thornton by F. Bartolozzi after Russell, 3 tables, frontispiece ‘The Universal Power of Love,’ fly-title ‘The Prize Dissertation on the Sexes of Plants, seven other portraits of important naturalists and botanists, and 22 plates of plants and botanical anatomy (second table with minor repairs to fore-edge, final text leaf with old paper repair to tear at fore-edge); part ii comprising letterpress ‘Part Second’ half-title, and 90 uncoloured engraved plates thus: mezzotint portrait ‘Linnaeus in his Lapland Dress’ by Dunkerton after Hoffman [Dunthorne’s state A], engraved portrait ‘Carolus Linnaeus, Knight of the Polar Star’ by H. Meyer after Hollman and Bartolozzi, 16 other portraits of important naturalists and botanists, 2 fly-titles, 2 tables and 68 plates of plants and botanical anatomy (portrait of ‘Linnaeus in his Lapland Dress’ with a few minor spots); part iii comprising letterpress ‘Part Third’ half-title and title ‘Picturesque Botanical Plates, Illustrative of the Sexual System of Carolus von Linnaeus,’ and 8 uncoloured engraved plates thus: 3 fly-titles ‘Select plants,’ ‘The Temple of Flora or Garden of the Botanist, Poet, Painter and Philosopher’ and ‘Pictureseque botanical plates,’ engraved portrait of Queen Charlotte by Bartolozzi after W. Beechy, 3 engraved dedication leaves, engraved leaf of contents; and 31 coloured plates of which 3 are frontispieces 'Flora Dispensing her Favours on Earth' (aquatint and stipple engraved, hand-coloured), and 'Aesculapius, Flora, Ceres and Cupid ...' and 'Cupid Inspiring the Plants with Love' (colour-printed stipple-engravings finished by hand), and 28 mezzotint and/or aquatint engraved plates printed in colours and/or coloured by hand, comprising: ‘The Snowdrop’ [Dunthorne state II, watermark H. Smith 1810], ‘The Persian Cyclamen’ [III, E&P 1804], ‘Hyacinths’ [II, H Smith], ‘Roses’ [II, centre rose with dark pink edged in yellow, H Smith], ‘A Group of Carnations’ [III, H Smith 1810], ‘A Group of Auriculas’ [two only, II, H Smith 1810], ‘Tulips’ [II, H Smith 1810 ], ‘The Queen Flower’ [E & P 1806], ‘The American Aloe,’ ‘The Nodding Renealmia’ [II], ‘The Night Blowing Cereus’ [A, II, H Smith], ‘The Oblique-Leaved Begonia’ [III, H Smith 1810 ], ‘Large Flowering Sensitive Plant’ [III, H Smith ], ‘Blue Passion Flower’ [III, H Smith ], ‘The Winged Passion Flower’ [III, H Smith 1810], ‘The Quadrangular Passion Flower’ [III, H Smtih 1810], ‘The White Lily’ [IV, E & P], ‘The Superb Lily’ [B, IV, H Smith ], ‘The Dragon Arum’ [IV, H Smith], ‘The Maggot-Bearing Stapelia’ [II, H Smith], ‘American Bog Plants’ [II, E & P], ‘The Pontic Rhododendron’ H Smith ‘The American Cowslip’ [II, H Smith 1810], ‘The Narrow Leaved Kalmia’ [H Smith], ‘The China Limodoron’ [H Smith], ‘The Indian Reed’ [II, H Smith], ‘The sacred Indian Bean’ [ H Smith 1810 ], and ‘The Blue Egyptian Water Lily’ [E & P 1806] (plate ‘Roses’ with tiny tear along plate mark but without loss, adjacent text leaves to plates ‘The Winged Passion Flower’ and ‘The White Lily’ with heavy offsetting; overall the two volumes fairly clean with only the first few leaves of the first and third parts with minor staining to gutter margin and heavier spotting affecting letterpress title in part I and the portrait of Queen Charlotte and engraved dedication leaves in part iii, otherwise only some insignificant scattered spotting and offsetting throughout). Modern green half morocco by W. Easy, spines with raised bands in six compartments, second, fourth and tail cap lettered in gilt and head- and tailcaps with foliate decoration (extremities lightly rubbed). Provenance: Royal Society of Medicine (stamps to blank verso of portrait of Thornton, letterpress titles in both volumes, and lettered in gilt at base of spines).
Lieu d'origine:Europe du Nord, Europe, Royaume-Uni
Catégorie maison de vente aux enchères:Livres et manuscrits, Livres imprimés
Adresse de l'enchère CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
Royaume-Uni
Aperçu
10.12.2025 – 10.12.2025
Téléphone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
E-mail
4FQ.AYGKAGLUQ@FO3G@
Commission see on Website
Conditions d'utilisationConditions d'utilisation

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