Set of Four 19th Century English Victorian Nature Printed Ferns in Black Frames

A set of four English nature printed ferns from the 19th century in black frames and under glass. A rare selection of 19th century English nature printed ferns from the Ferns of Great Britain and Ireland. The author of this work was the botanist Thomas Moore (1821-1887), the editor was John Lindley, London (1855-1856). The plates were executed by Henry Bradley (1831-1860). Nature-printed ferns were created in Victorian England by pressing actual specimens in lead, transferring the image by electrotype to a copper plate and printing and hand-coloring each one. The process allowed the reproduction of the finest details down to the veins of the fronds. Ferns were one of the few plants with a form that could be replicated, the shape of the fronds being largely two-dimensional. The resulting image was in two colors and provided a highly detailed and realistic depiction of the species. According to the noted botanical scholar Wilfrid Blunt, this series is the crowning achievement of nature-printing in terms of science and aesthetics.

H 29.25 in. x W 21.5 in. x D 1 in.

H 74.3 cm x W 54.61 cm x D 2.54 cm