James Sowerby, “Cnicus eriophorus”, 1797

James Sowerby (1756/7–1822)

“Cnicus eriophorus” (aka Cirsium eriophorum)—more commonly known as the Woolly Thistle, Scotch Thistle, Heraldic Thistle or Cotton Thistle—1797, published in London by James Sowerby as plate 1118 to Sir James Edward Smith’s (1759–1828) “English Botany; or, Coloured Figures of British Plants, with their Essential Characters, Synonyms and Places of Growth” (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Botany).

Engraving with hand-colouring (as published) on fine buff coloured wove paper backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 19.8 x 11cm; (plate [soft impression]) 17.1 x 9.3cm.

Inscribed in plate: (lower left) “Cnicus eriophorus.”; (lower centre) “March 1^st. 1797. Published by J^[s?]. Sowerby, London.”; (upper right corner) 380/ 1118.”

Condition: a strong, well-printed and near faultlessly coloured impression laid upon a sheet of millennium quality washi paper providing wide margins. The sheet is in a near pristine condition with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions or stains.

I am selling this remarkably beautiful engraved illustration with hand-colouring (as published), for the total cost of AU$197 (approximately US$128.53, EUR 110.06 or GBP 96.11), including express mail shipping worldwide. Import duties, if any, are the responsibility of the buyer.

If you are interested in purchasing this spectacularly fine illustration of the Woolly Thistle, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

James Sowerby (1757–1822)

4 original engravings of thistles with hand-colouring as published in “English Botany; or, Coloured Figures of British Plants, with their Essential Characters, Synonyms, and Places of Growth.”

(upper-left image) “Cnicus Palustris, Plate 974: 1116”, 1802 (inscribed on plate);

(upper-centre image) “Cnicus Eriophorus, Plate 386: 1118”, 1797 (inscribed on plate);

(upper-right image) “Cnicus Pratensis, Plate 177: 1121”, 179? (inscribed indistinctly on plate);

(lower image) “Cnicus Aculis: Plate 161: 1122”, 1794 (inscribed on plate).

Engravings on fine cream wove paper with hand-applied watercolour (as published by Sowerby)

Size: (each sheet) 21.2 x 13 cm.

For information on Sowerby’s illustrations, see http://www.illustratedgarden.org/mobot/rarebooks/author.asp?creator=Sowerby,%20James&creatorID=94 and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Botany.

Condition: crisp impressions with exquisite hand-colouring (as published) in pristine condition.

I am selling these four original engravings from the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries for the total cost of only AU$98 (currently US$70.87/EUR63.18/GBP48.67 at the time of posting this print) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world.

If you are interested in purchasing these small but stunningly beautiful illustrations of thistles, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

“Cnicus Palustris, Plate 974: 1116”, 1802

“Cnicus Eriophorus, Plate 386: 1118”, 1797

“Cnicus Pratensis, Plate 177: 1121”, 179? 

“Cnicus Aculis: Plate 161: 1122”, 1794

In case there are illustrators, especially botanical illustrators, who are not familiar with the engravings of James Sowerby, I strongly advise a quick stint of Googled research—his work is worth knowing about!

Essentially, Sowerby is probably the most famous of all English botanical illustrators. His fame rests marginally on the fineness of his engravings and their delicate hand-colouring, like the beautiful engravings of thistles shown here. The real reason for his fame, however, is simply because of his publication, “English Botany”, that was released in “36 issues and 267 numbers, for over twenty-four years” (to quote Huber M Walsh, a volunteer librarian from Rare Books from the MGB Library). In short, it became so well known that it was THE periodical for gardeners and botanists. Going further, according to Walsh, even today “it is regarded as an authoritative reference source” (http://www.illustratedgarden.org/mobot/rarebooks/author.asp?creator=Sowerby,%20James&creatorID=94).