Botanical Art
An article by Sylvia Peter and Dr. Renate Hücking
Botanical art refers to the depiction of plants in the visual arts. One or more plants or parts of plants form the sole content of the work. Insects associated with the plant (e.g., pollinators) are sometimes depicted alongside it.
Unlike botanical illustration, botanical art arises from the artist's aesthetic and personal interest in the plant world and is not commissioned by science as illustrative material for natural history purposes (e.g., in herbals). The boundaries between botanical art, scientific illustration, and still life are fluid. Botanical art depicts plants, their growth, their leaves, flowers, or roots accurately and in correct colors, but often enlarged or reduced in size.
The techniques predominantly used are painting and graphic art, especially watercolor and colored pencil. Occasionally, sculptures, photographs, and installations with botanical themes are also included in exhibitions.
History
The term “botanical art” first appeared in the 20th century, when artists such as Rory McEwen and Margaret Mee made plants the sole subject of their paintings. Earlier works are mostly classified as scientific illustrations.
Against the backdrop of discussions about preserving biodiversity, botanical painting has experienced a resurgence since the 1980s. This is evident not only in the growing number of artists and their highly acclaimed works, but also in the lively international exhibition scene.
In 2008, the first museum dedicated to botanical art opened in Kew Gardens, London. The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art displays works from Dr. Shirley Sherwood's extensive collection as well as paintings from the historical collection of Kew Gardens.
The first society for botanical art, the SBA (Society of Botanical Artists), was founded in Great Britain in 1985 by Suzanne Lucas. Artists in many other countries followed this example. The largest society for botanical art is the ASBA (American Society of Botanical Artists) with almost 2,000 members from 39 countries.
Botanical art in German-speaking countries
The German term “Botanische Kunst” (botanical art) was established by the Forum Botanische Kunst, founded in 2009 by Sylvia Peter and Michael Junginger. Their gallery of the same name in Thüngeresheim regularly exhibited botanical art by international artists from 2009 to 2025.
Between 2010 and 2018, exhibitions by the British Society of Botanical Artists were held every two years at the Palmengarten Frankfurt.
In 2012, the first German-language book on botanical artists was published: “Blumenmalerinnen” by Dr. Renate Hücking.
In 2014, artists Sylvia Peter and Verena Redmann launched the Botanical Art Network. It arranges annual meetings, where collegial exchange is important and practice-oriented workshops take place.
In 2018 and 2025, the two artists, together with the Botanical Art Network, organized the German-Austrian contribution to the global exhibition series “Botanical Art Worldwide” at the Galerie Forum Botanische Kunst in Thüngersheim.
Since 2016, numerous art associations such as the Kunstverein Kehdingen (2016), the Kunstforum Seligenstadt (2017), the Verein Kunstreich Walldürn (2023), and the Verein für Botanische Kunst e.V. (2024), founded in 2023, have organized exhibitions featuring botanical art. The Seeburger Foundation in Maulbronn has included botanical artists in its Artist in Residence program.
In Austria, an association called the “Vienna School of Botanical Illustration” was formed in 2017. It is committed to the long tradition of scientific drawing and hosts a symposium entitled “GET TOGETHER” every two years at the Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna.
In Switzerland, the Botanical Art Switzerland association was founded in 2018. The Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) in Switzerland offers a three-year course in botanical illustration.
Sources:
Hücking, Renate “Blumenmalerinnen” (Flower Painters), Munich 2012
Privett, Sean “Grootbos Florilegium,” Cape Town 2022 (English)
Anna Król, Exploring Botany – Botanical Art in the 21st Century, Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology, Krakow 2021 (Polish/English)
Sherwood, Shirley The Shirley Sherwood Collection: Modern Masterpieces of Botanical Art, London 2019 (English)
Journal of the American Society of Botanical Artists, “The Botanical Artist” Issue 29, March 2023 (English)
Irish Society of Botanical Artists “Botanical Art Worldwide 2018 éireannach”, Dublin 2018 (English
Major exhibitions in Germany (selection)
2010–2018 biennially: SBA exhibition at the Palmengarten, Frankfurt
2012 The Highgrove Florilegium – From the Garden of HRH The Prince of Wales, Botanical Museum, Berlin-Dahlem
2012 “Plants in Peril” – Works from the Shirley Sherwood Collection, London, Municipal Museum Reithalle, Paderborn
2018 “Flora’s New Masters,” German-Austrian contribution to the global exhibition series “Botanical Art Worldwide I,” Forum Botanische Kunst, Thüngersheim
2025 “The Diversity of Crop Plants,” German-Austrian contribution to the global exhibition series “Botanical Art Worldwide II,” Forum Botanical Art, Thüngersheim
Collections
Shirley Sherwood Collection, Shirley Sherwood Gallery, Kew Gardens, London
Hunt Institute of Botanical Documentation, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburg
Literature
Society for the Promotion of Garden Culture, “Blätterrauschen No. 62 Botanische Kunst,” Berlin 2023
Hücking, Renate “Blumenmalerinnen”, Munich 2012
Sherwood, Shirley “The Shirley Sherwood Collection: Modern Masterpieces of Botanical Art,” London 2019 (English)
Woodin, Carol and Jess, Robin A., “Botanical Art Techniques,” Portland 2020 (English)