Robert John Thornton

Dive into the lush botanical world of Robert John Thornton, an 18th-century English polymath whose life's work, "The Temple of Flora," blooms eternal in the garden of art history. This Cambridge-educated physician-turned-botanical virtuoso cultivated a legacy that intertwines scientific precision with artistic splendor. Ensuring Robert John Thornton's magnum opus, part of his ambitious "New Illustration of the Sexual System of Carolus von Linnaeus," isn't just a collection of pretty petals. It's a sensory explosion that marries Linnaean taxonomy with Romantic artistry. 
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About this collection

What survives when a hand reaches too far—toward Eden’s vanished flora, toward knowledge trembling at the edge of ruin? Robert John Thornton, heir to Trinity’s divine halls and London’s medical chambers, turned from salvation to seduction, trading scripture for stamen, sermon for stem.

Picture sumptuous folio pages where exotic flora steal the limelight against dramatic backdrops. Each plate a stage for nature's grand performance. Commissioned from the cream of British artists like Philip Reinagle, these aren't mere illustrations—they're botanical portraits that capture the soul of each species.

Despite financial thorns that ultimately pricked Thornton's grand vision, reducing his planned 70 plates to 33, the "Temple of Flora" stands as a testament to an era when royal patrons and intrepid explorers fueled a botanical renaissance. This vivid intersection of science and art, nurtured in the hothouse of Georgian England's horticultural obsession, continues to captivate collectors and botanists alike.

At Kew Gardens, a rare set of these floral masterpieces serves as a time capsule of Thornton's genius, inviting modern eyes to wander through his enchanted garden of copper-plate engravings and mezzotints, where every petal and leaf whispers secrets of a time when botany ruled the intellectual world.

His Temple of Flora does not bloom; it burns—botanical illustration ablaze with erotic precision, each plate a fevered hymn to Carl Linnaeus’ sexual system of plants, where petals part like flesh, and pollen drifts like whispered names.

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Every package tracked so you can watch your treasure move from A to B to You.

Sent carbon neutral at no extra charge. Helping you gain peace of mind your money's being kind.
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1. Open Request

You're welcome to open a return / exchange request within 30 days of your order's delivery. All items for return must be delivered back in their original condition, with their original packaging included. Note: original shipping costs will not be refunded unless item arrives incorrect, damaged or faulty.

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