Picture Details
Turmeric plant, watercolour and ink on paper.
Partner:
Kew GardensImage reference:
ILLUS170.01/15.0ROXOrigin:
Calcutta, IndiaArtist / Date:
Unknown, 1790-1812Donor / Date:
1859Size:
473 x 363 mmDescription:
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Seen here is a Turmeric plant, with the large tuberous roots revealed, typical of the Zingiberaceae family which includes ginger and cardamom.
This painting is one of around 2,500 that form the Roxburgh Collection at Kew. These drawings are actually hand-painted reproductions of a set held at the Botanic Gardens in Calcutta, the majority of which were commissioned by William Roxburgh while he acted as Superintendent there from 1793-1813. Illustrations were frequently copied by the artists at Calcutta, in order to meet the demands of European scientists. The 'copies' however often vary in composition, style and content, and over the years, individual drawings would gain the hand-written notes and corrections of the botanists who studied them.
Bibliographic Info:
Roxburgh, W. (1874), Flora Indica. Thacker, Spink and Co., Calcutta.
