植物を科学とアートで描く―ボタニカルアートの魅力

抄録

Botanical art is a painting style that combines science and art, looking at plants through the eyes of science and also combining elements of art. The plants to be painted must be carefully observed and botanically accurate, as well as of artistic value in terms of a painting, such as composition and beautiful colors. In ancient times, drawings were made for herbology, and transcription of them lasted for a long period of time. It was not until the Renaissance in the 16th century that paintings were based on living plants. Coming to the Age of Exploration, new plants were brought from all over the world to Europe. Botanical art evolved as a means of accurately documenting precious plants, while botanical research also evolved from herbalism to botany. Botanical art, which also contributed to the development of botany through the cooperation of botanists and artists, reached its golden age in the 18th and 19th centuries. Botanical art developed as a way of accurately documenting plants in an era when there were no photos, but today, with the advancement of technology, anyone can easily take beautiful photos. Contrary to this trend, in the present day, artists all over the world are active in depicting plants in what has been called a second golden age.