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| Clutius Botanical Watercolors | 
 enlarge | Author: Claudia Swan
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams
Category: Book
List Price: $45.00
Buy New: $29.00
You Save: $16.00 (36%)
Buy Used from $29.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  (1 reviews)
Sales Rank: 575892
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 143
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 12.9 x 9.5 x 0.8
ISBN: 0810940957
Dewey Decimal Number: 580.222
EAN: 9780810940956
ASIN: 0810940957
Publication Date: September 30, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
These exquisite watercolors epitomize the Renaissance interest in and exploration of the natural world. Commissioned from an unknown artist by the Dutch pharmacist Theodorus Clutius as research material for doctors and herbalists, and later used by artists, the illustrations range from the rose and columbine to the sweet pea and cherry, from wild waterlilies to sage, thyme, rosemary, and exotic spices. 149 illustrations, 142 in color.
Amazon.com Review
During the Renaissance, the boundary between art and science was not as clearly drawn as it is in the information age. One of the key functions of science in da Vinci's day was to accurately and elegantly depict the denizens of the natural world, and nowhere did the scientist-artists shine more than in botanical studies. The Clutius Botanical Watercolors offers a glimpse into the world of 16th-century naturalists, who spent much time "botanizing." This particularly gorgeous collection of original (but unsigned) drawings and watercolors was owned by Theodorus Clutius, a Netherlands pharmacist, and they were used to instruct budding scientists and physicians at Leiden University. These plant studies are exquisitely detailed and delicately colored, retaining both usefulness and beauty. Every needle on the pine bough is painstakingly rendered. Each pea leaf, tendril, and flower is accurate and dainty. Each plant in the pleasure garden, the kitchen garden, and the wild is drawn and tinted to perfection. This book is a joy to leaf through for botanists, artists, and fans of Renaissance naturalists. --Therese Littleton
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| Customer Reviews:
Absolutely Gorgeous! June 6, 2006
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
This is a tall book about 12.5 inches (32 cm tall and 24 cm wide) and contains excellent quality presentations of the botanical prints of the collector Clutius [artist(s)unknown]. So you see on each white page an aged parchment that contains the botanical watercolor. The parchments are set on each page with about a one-inch surrounding border of the white background page. All the parchments are very old so their edges are a bit uneven here and there indicating their age and their true paper-making origin. No machine churned out perfect sheets back then. The watercolors themselves are absolutely exquisite and their skilled presentation by the author makes you feel like you are actually paging through the actual collection. She chose 142 watercolors from the collection of 1,800. The artist(s) may be unknown but their skill would have guaranteed them widespread fame today if they had autographed their works. I am a modest collector of botanical books and I just feel so peaceful and content paging through them. This is my favorite book. Even at Amazon's $45 price tag, which I did not pay, I consider this book worth it. Barely, but still worth it! And I am a real skinflint so I don't say this lightly! If you love botanical books, you will treasure this one.
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