Plate XXXII (32)- By George Brookshaw

• Artist: George Brookshaw
• Medium: Aquatint and stipple engraving
• Publish Details: London: 1812, from Pomona Britannica, print in colored and finished by hand
• Measurements: 22 3/4 x 18 1/4 in. (mat)
• Conditions: Very good condition, image slightly faded by time

George Brookshaw's celebrated Pomona Britannica (1812) illustrates the remarkable varieties of fruit cultivated in the Royal Gardens at Hampton Court and Kensington Gardens at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Originally trained as a cabinetmaker, Brookshaw abandoned his trade in mid-life to pursue a career as a flower painter and teacher, dedicating years of painstaking effort to the engravings that were issued in parts beginning in 1804 and ultimately published together in 1812.

Employing the refined aquatint and stipple engraving techniques, Brookshaw produced sumptuous images distinguished by their rich coloration and dramatic chocolate-brown backgrounds, creating a visual effect unlike that of earlier botanical works. Pomona Britannica is widely regarded as one of the masterpieces of nineteenth-century botanical illustration, containing some of the finest color engravings of fruit ever produced. Today, its plates are highly prized for their exceptional beauty, rarity, and decorative appeal, making them outstanding additions to collections of botanical art or elegant focal points for home or office display.