Collection Selection Boxes – Botanical Illustration

Our Collection Selection Boxes are a unique opportunity to handle original prints, drawings and photographs from our collection. These resources contain carefully curated material that introduces a particular period, style, material, or technique, and are available for individual study or group teaching.

Botanical Illustration

Since its foundation in 1856, the V&A has collected examples of botanical illustration in all graphic media; these range in date from the 15th century to the present day. The purpose of acquiring such material is varied: botanical prints chart the development of printing – from the woodcut process used for early herbals to hand-coloured etchings and colour-printing – whilst printed and painted flora have been used as pattern books by artists and designers such as William Morris and Alexander McQueen.

There are three boxes available containing material related to botanical illustration.

You can also view and download these resources as a PDF:

Box 1

Box 2

Box 3

Header image: Detail: Giant Granadilla, Passiflora quadrangularis L., Peter Brown, about 1758 – 99. Museum no. D.2-1893. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London