Pair of Antique Botanical Iris Engravings, Curtis's Botanical Magazine, Framed, 1803–1804

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A ready-to-hang pair of genuine Georgian botanical prints with over two centuries of history behind them — hand-coloured copperplate engravings … Read more A ready-to-hang pair of genuine Georgian botanical prints with over two centuries of history behind them — hand-coloured copperplate engravings of two elegant irises from Curtis's Botanical Magazine, the world's longest-running botanical journal. One shows the Portuguese Flag iris in golden yellow washed with blue and violet; the other a graceful yellow Cape iris, drawn for its very first appearance in print. Both were drawn by Sydenham Edwards, the magazine's star artist, and coloured entirely by hand in watercolour, which gives them the soft, painterly freshness.

What makes this pair sing on a wall is the framing: matching ornate painted and parcel-gilt frames simulating figured hardwood, over toned wash mounts — warm, decorated, and quietly grand. Hang them flanking a mirror, stacked in a hallway, or as the anchor of a botanical gallery wall; the yellow-and-violet palette plays beautifully with everything from English chintz to clean modern walls. Each print retains its original letterpress description page, a lovely bibliophile touch. Dated 1803 and 1804. See less