- A comprehensive and accessible historical and artistic survey of botanical illustration - Perhaps the most important book on botanical painting ever published This major work， first published in 1950， is still considered the classic book on the subject。 It provides a comprehensive， critical and well-illustrated survey of the portrayal of plants across over three thousand years， at a more compact size。 Of the first edition， the poet and gardening writer， Vita Sackville-West said: "Let no one think this is a book only for the specialist。 It is essential for the specialist， certainly， but it is also for all the flower-lovers and all those who enjoy the by-ways of biography and the added attraction of good writing"。 This edition contains 126 color plates （more than twice as many as the first edition）， alongside 140 black-and-white illustrations。 It invites the reader to appreciate the works of the greatest botanical illustrators both past and present。