Description
Botanica Magnifica features 250 stunning photographs representing—in the words of an ARTnews critic—rare or exotic plants and flowers “in large scale and exquisite detail, emerging from the shadows in a manner evocative of Old Master paintings.”
The original edition of Botanica Magnifica, consisting of five lavishly hand-bound volumes, was limited to just ten copies, the first of which was recently donated to the Smithsonian Institution. The extra-large “double-elephant” format of that edition was chosen in homage to the famous double-elephant folio of The Birds of America, and indeed, Botanica Magnifica is one of the few works of natural history ever to rival Audubon’s magnum opus in its scope and artistry. In praise of the double-elephant folio of Botanica Magnifica, the Smithsonian’s Chairman of Botany attested, “Everyone who has seen the photographs…has been tremendously impressed with the power, scale, and depth of the work.”
Now Singer’s remarkable images are available to the public for the first time in this hardcover with slipcase, baby-elephant folio of Botanica Magnifica. This volume is organized into five alphabetically arranged sections, each introduced by a gatefold page that displays one extraordinary plant at a luxurious size. Each pictured plant is accompanied by a clear and accessible description of its botany, geography, folklore, history, and conservation.
Botanica Magnifica is one of the most impressive volumes of natural history ever published.
Details
- Pages: 356
- Publisher: Abbeville Publishing Group
- Imprint: Abbeville Press
- Publication Date: 29th September 2009
- Trim Size: 12.7 x 15.8 in
- Illustration Note: 510 full-color illustrations, 5 gatefolds
- ISBN: 9780789210333
Reviews
"A podiatrist photographs some of the world’s most endangered flowers with remarkable precision and artistry, hoping to raise the plants’ profiles before it’s too late."– Audubon Magazine
"You've never seen still-lifes of flora this crisp and hyper-real before. Photographer Jonathan Singer uses cutting edge digital techniques to reveal delicate structures of plant life to often jaw-dropping effect."– Elle Magazine
"Art aficionados marvel at their painterly quality, and botanists are in awe of how Singer manages to capture them so true to form. "– Smithsonian Magazine
"Goes way beyond typical nature photography to reveal not just the shape and substance of these living things but also their essence."– O, the Oprah Magazine
Author Bio
Marc Hachadourian is the curator of Glasshouse Collections at the New York Botanical Garden. With over fifteen years of commercial and specialist horticultural experience, he supervises the care of the botanical collections and exhibition crops in the greenhouses. He specializes in orchids, aquatics, blubs, and alpines and is particularly interested in public awareness of global plant conservation and the appreciation of plant biodiversity.
W. John Kress is a Curator of Botany and Research Scientist at the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution. He is the author of Abbeville’s The Weeping Goldsmith: Discoveries in the Secret Land of Myanmar and has written many articles on botany.
Jonathan Singer’s double-elephant folio of Botanica Magnifica is kept in the Cullman Rare Book Room at the Smithsonian Institution Libraries. Dr. Singer was named a Hasselblad Laureate Award winner based on his contribution to fine art photography and to “our perception and appreciation of the botanical world.”
Botanica Magnifica features 250 stunning photographs representing—in the words of an ARTnews critic—rare or exotic plants and flowers “in large scale and exquisite detail, emerging from the shadows in a manner evocative of Old Master paintings.”
The original edition of Botanica Magnifica, consisting of five lavishly hand-bound volumes, was limited to just ten copies, the first of which was recently donated to the Smithsonian Institution. The extra-large “double-elephant” format of that edition was chosen in homage to the famous double-elephant folio of The Birds of America, and indeed, Botanica Magnifica is one of the few works of natural history ever to rival Audubon’s magnum opus in its scope and artistry. In praise of the double-elephant folio of Botanica Magnifica, the Smithsonian’s Chairman of Botany attested, “Everyone who has seen the photographs…has been tremendously impressed with the power, scale, and depth of the work.”
Now Singer’s remarkable images are available to the public for the first time in this hardcover with slipcase, baby-elephant folio of Botanica Magnifica. This volume is organized into five alphabetically arranged sections, each introduced by a gatefold page that displays one extraordinary plant at a luxurious size. Each pictured plant is accompanied by a clear and accessible description of its botany, geography, folklore, history, and conservation.
Botanica Magnifica is one of the most impressive volumes of natural history ever published.
- Pages: 356
- Publisher: Abbeville Publishing Group
- Imprint: Abbeville Press
- Publication Date: 29th September 2009
- Trim Size: 12.7 x 15.8 in
- Illustrations Note: 510 full-color illustrations, 5 gatefolds
- ISBN: 9780789210333
"A podiatrist photographs some of the world’s most endangered flowers with remarkable precision and artistry, hoping to raise the plants’ profiles before it’s too late."– Audubon Magazine
"You've never seen still-lifes of flora this crisp and hyper-real before. Photographer Jonathan Singer uses cutting edge digital techniques to reveal delicate structures of plant life to often jaw-dropping effect."– Elle Magazine
"Art aficionados marvel at their painterly quality, and botanists are in awe of how Singer manages to capture them so true to form. "– Smithsonian Magazine
"Goes way beyond typical nature photography to reveal not just the shape and substance of these living things but also their essence."– O, the Oprah Magazine
Marc Hachadourian is the curator of Glasshouse Collections at the New York Botanical Garden. With over fifteen years of commercial and specialist horticultural experience, he supervises the care of the botanical collections and exhibition crops in the greenhouses. He specializes in orchids, aquatics, blubs, and alpines and is particularly interested in public awareness of global plant conservation and the appreciation of plant biodiversity.
W. John Kress is a Curator of Botany and Research Scientist at the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution. He is the author of Abbeville’s The Weeping Goldsmith: Discoveries in the Secret Land of Myanmar and has written many articles on botany.
Jonathan Singer’s double-elephant folio of Botanica Magnifica is kept in the Cullman Rare Book Room at the Smithsonian Institution Libraries. Dr. Singer was named a Hasselblad Laureate Award winner based on his contribution to fine art photography and to “our perception and appreciation of the botanical world.”