Botanic Gardens of the World: The Story of Science, Horticulture, and Discovery in 40 Gardens by Deborah Trentham
A book about gardens can be approached in a number of different ways, one of them being the scientific approach (over the aesthetic), and that is how I approached this book.
I didn’t know, for instance, that the first true botanic gardens were Italian—the Garden of the University of Padua was established in 1543—how a plant from South America could be devoured by a bug from South East Asia, or how they restored the historic specimen from a sapling of the same plant.
The idea behind creating a botanic garden is a truly appealing one: it involves conservation, having samples from every ecosystem in the world, preserving ancient findings, and now, there is also a space for investigation, incorporating new technology which also happens to enhance places of incredible beauty. Designed for on-site study and research, botanic gardens are where both an aesthetic experience and science investigation can conflate.
The book revisits 40 iconic gardens and how their role has shifted over time: from medical research to exploration and conservation before climate change.
The gardens also vary from classic conceptions, such as the Italian Botanic Gardens, and the more futuristic, like the amazing Singapore Botanic Gardens. This is a history of science and learning, one we (hopefully) will be able to preserve for future generations.
Botanic Gardens of the World is available on November 7, 2023.
Publisher: Mobius
Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
ISBN-13: 9781529428094
Genre: Landscape, Social History
Up next, is an intense look at color theory and everything associated with it:
The History of Color: A Universe of Chromatic Phenomena by Neil Parkinson
At first, I thought this book was a history of how we perceive color. Or maybe about antique color theory books? However, there is more to it than that.
It revolves around how we relate to color from different perspectives: spiritual, commercial, theoretical, etc.
Curiously enough, our relationship with color changes through time, although we always think that we are discovering the ultimate theory about it. As it is so fundamental to how we experience the world, it permeates our culture and our views. The color charts, the food, the industry around color—there is a lot to look at.
This is a reference book with tiny types and illustrations that are drawn from the Royal College of Art’s Colour Reference Library (encompassing 600 hundred years of history in itself). My favorite was a rendition of Isaac Newton’s prism experiment on his untidy bedroom.
The History of Color’ is available on September 26, 2023.
Publisher: Frances Lincoln
Format: 256 pages; Hardcover
ISBN-13: 9780711288843
Categories: Color Theory Graphic Arts – Illustration
Finally, a fascinating account of a great painter:
Camille Pissarro: The Audacity of Impressionism by Anka Muhlstein (Author), Adriana Hunter (Translator)
I had no idea that Pissarro was Jewish. This surprised and delighted me because Impressionism was not a part of my cultural Jewish references, and I found it incredibly refreshing.
Camille Pissarro, now known as the father of Impressionism, certainly had a lot of influence on this artistic movement. A founding member of the new school of French painting, he was a close friend of Monet and met Degas, Mary Cassatt, Cézanne, Gauguin, and Van Gogh.
I was also surprised to learn about his upbringing: he was born in the Caribbean on the island of St. Thomas (now in the US Virgin Islands, but then in the Danish West Indies) to Portuguese and French Jewish families.
He was an atheist who was constantly aware of his stand on French politics and never interjected political or religious messages in his art. He feared retaliation due to his lineage—he only had a Danish nationality for many years, even though he was well established in France since his early twenties.
Pissarro has left us a great body of work (even though some of it was destroyed during the Prussian War, used by the soldiers as mats to keep their boots clean). Undaunted, he continued to produce more work and continuously experimented with pléin-air paintings and new techniques and approaches.
Anka Muhlstein offers a lovely portrait of the artist, inspired by his work and his collection of letters, focusing on his heritage, his independent spirit, and how he made an effort to promote freedom and autonomy to those around him.
Camille Pissarro is available on November 28, 2023.
Publisher: Other Press (NY)
Format: Hardcover, 320
ISBN-13: 9781635421705
