Plants - General & Miscellaneous, Biologists - Biography, Plants - Pictorial Works, Artists - Biography, Botany - General & Miscellaneous, Illustration, Flora & Fauna in Art

The Art of Plant Evolution

Name: The Art of Plant Evolution
Author: W. John Kress
ISBN: 9781842464212

by W. John Kress, Shirley Sherwood

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Overview

This beautiful mix of art and science offers a breathtaking look at the way that contemporary scientific discoveries are changing our understanding of plants and plant evolution. Nearly one hundred and fifty paintings, by eighty-four artists, are reproduced in full color to present a sweeping overview of the evolution of plants worldwide. The paintings cover a wide range of plants, including ferns, fungi, conifers, algae, mosses, and a rich bounty of flowering plants; accompanying each painting is up-to-date evolutionary information—drawn from recent DNA analysis—plus observations by each of the artists and details about modern plant classification. Written for the nonspecialist, The Art of Plant Evolution is sure to enchant inquisitive green thumbs and gardeners.

Synopsis

About the Author, W. John Kress

John W. Kress is curator and research scientist at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Shirley Sherwood has been collecting contemporary botanical drawings for nearly twenty years; her collection is arguably the world’s most important private collection of twentieth-century botanical art.

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Editorials

American Scientist

"The Art of Plant Evolution showcases the extensive collection of plant paintings amassed by Sherwood and now displayed in rotation in the magnificent new Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The quality and quantity of the paintings takes one''s breath away . . . The book, however, isn''t just a selection of pretty paintings. . . . In a series of introductory chapters, the authors clearly and simply lay out the evidence on which our understanding of plant evolution is based. They talk about phylogenetics, the role of fossils in understanding patterns of evolution, and the coevolution of plants and animals. . . . The paintings themselves are stunning, a testament to the renaissance of botanical art. Most are contemporary and well illustrate that the art of beautifully depicting plants in a scientifically accurate way is far from dead."— Sandra Knapp

Chicago Botanic Garden

"A celebration of the marriage of plant evolution and art. Eighty-four artists depict in 136 paintings the botanical relationships between plant forms as identified by the most recent research, such as DNA sequencing. In the introduction, distinguished botanist W. John Kress analyzes these evolutionary relationships and the current classification of major plant groups. Art expert Shirley Sherwood describes the backgrounds of individual artists and the significance of each beautiful painting."—Marilyn K. Alaimo

American Scientist

"The Art of Plant Evolution showcases the extensive collection of plant paintings amassed by Sherwood and now displayed in rotation in the magnificent new Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The quality and quantity of the paintings takes one's breath away . . . The book, however, isn't just a selection of pretty paintings. . . . In a series of introductory chapters, the authors clearly and simply lay out the evidence on which our understanding of plant evolution is based. They talk about phylogenetics, the role of fossils in understanding patterns of evolution, and the coevolution of plants and animals. . . . The paintings themselves are stunning, a testament to the renaissance of botanical art. Most are contemporary and well illustrate that the art of beautifully depicting plants in a scientifically accurate way is far from dead."