Treasures at Belfast Central Library

Belfast Central Library has a collection of illustrated botanical books. These are rarely seen by the public, and their fragility means they can only be occasionally displayed, since daylight damages their fine colours.

This beautiful picture represents one of the finest achievements of the botanical art. The lovely colours of the flower are as fresh as the day the book was printed.

The tulip was the most fashionable flower in 17th Holland. Bulbs exchanged hands costing hundreds of guilders, and fortunes were made and lost. The simple elegance of this image, against stark pale background stresses the linear nature of the tulip and its fragility. It is a celebration of the transient glory of one of the natural world’s loveliest of flowers, and renders the transient eternal through art.

The Buddleia is sometimes known as the Butterfly bush. This vivid portrayal of one of Nature’s most beautiful plants is alive with the colour and delicacy of the plant. The purity of colours is rendered in the finest of detail, with a complete understanding of the structure of the flowers.

A member of the lily family, this subtle portrayal by Redoute combines accurate botanical observation with the highest artistic standards. It is an iconic image of nature as seen through the eye of the 18th century. Dictated by nature, but re-imagined by a supreme artist this celebrates man’s creativity. By the time that Redoute was working, the art of the printer could achieve images that earlier printers lacked the technology of ink, type and paper could never attain.

If you require any further information please contact:

Linda Greenwood, Principal Librarian

Telephone: 028 90509150
Email Linda.Greenwood@ni-libraries.net