Botanica Magnifica
Portraits of the World's Most Extraordinary Flowers and Plants
Published on 15. October 2009
Book
Hardback
356 pages
978-0-7892-1033-3 (ISBN)
Description
Botanica Magnifica features two hundred and fifty stunning photographs of rare and exotic plants and flowers by Hasselblad Laureate Award winner Jonathan Singer.
Botanica Magnifica features two hundred and fifty stunning photographs by Hasselblad Laureate Award winner Jonathan Singer, 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 baby-elephant folio of Botanica Magnifica. Like the larger edition, 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.
With its marvelous reproductions and fascinating text, the baby-elephant folio of Botanica Magnifica is one of the most impressive volumes of natural history ever published. This volume is also available in a leatherbound, slipcased edition.
Botanica Magnifica features two hundred and fifty stunning photographs by Hasselblad Laureate Award winner Jonathan Singer, 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 baby-elephant folio of Botanica Magnifica. Like the larger edition, 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.
With its marvelous reproductions and fascinating text, the baby-elephant folio of Botanica Magnifica is one of the most impressive volumes of natural history ever published. This volume is also available in a leatherbound, slipcased edition.
Reviews / Votes
Praise for Botanica Magnifica: "This has to be, hands down, the most gorgeous book of the year." -- ARTnews "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 "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 "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 "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 "...It's [Singer's] flowers, in Botanica Magnifica, that have caused quite a stir. Art aficionados marvel at their painterly quality, and botanists are in awe of how Singer manages to capture them so true to form..." -- Smithsonian(dot)com "A greenhouse between two covers." -- Reader's Digest "Botanica Magnifica is truly one of the most amazing natural history publications that has ever appeared..." -- Zoom Magazine "As rare and sublime as the marvels surveyed within its broad covers, Singer has produced a work to rest alongside some of the great botanical codexes in history, one for connoisseurs of the still-life, natural phenomena, and the photographic art." -- Library Journal "This single and singular volume...offers profound delight...Together the artist and the scientist observe and create diverse and new forms with these images." -- Bloomsbury Review "This impressive book should capture the imagination of naturalists and artists as well as the general public." -- ChoiceMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
With dust jacket
Illustrations
510 colour
Dimensions
Height: 400 mm
Width: 327 mm
Thickness: 50 mm
Weight
4784 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7892-1033-3 (9780789210333)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
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 (2008) and Carl Linnaeus Silver Medalist from the Swedish Royal Academy of Sciences (2009) based on his contribution marrying art with science, and to "our perception and appreciation of the botanical world." His many achievements include his appointment as Research Collaborator, Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 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. Marc Hachadourian is the Acting Manager of the Nolen Greenhouses for the New York Botanical Garden. He specializes in orchids, aquatics, bulbs, and alpines and is particularly interested in public awareness of global plant conservation and the appreciation of plant biodiversity.
Content
Table of Contents from: Botanica Magnifica Preface Introduction I. Orchidaceae Presents the full diversity of orchids, one of the largest and most exquisite families of flowering plants. II. Florilegium Portrays the complexity and beauty of flowers. III. Proteus Named for the shape-changing sea god of Greek mythology because it illustrates plant forms perfectly adapted for survival. IV. Zingerbraceae A tribute to the ginger family, whose members include both common tropical plants and rarities at risk of extinction. V. Botanicus A selection of beautiful and bizarre specimens from the renowned botanical research collection of the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian. Index of Plant Names