Study of a thistle
James Sowerby British
Not on view
The Sowerbys were an English family of naturalists, collectors, artists, and publishers who offered the public, amateur and professional alike, a large selection of important, original, illustrated works on natural history. James Sowerby, who drew this striking image of a thistle, founded the dynasty and is known for his illustrative work in the thirty-six volumes of James Smith's English Botany (1790-1814). For his pupils and other "Young Beginners" he wrote An Easy Introduction to Drawing Flowers according to Nature.