Lowe - Dracena III

Title: Dracaena - Plate III
Artist: E. J. Lowe
Publication: Beautiful Leaved Plants, being a Description of the Most Beautiful Leaved Plants inCultivation in this Country(to which is added an extended catalogue)
Date: Groombridge, London 1864
Print Type: Chromolithograph
Condition: VG
Size: 7” x 9.75”
Code: A417

Description: Edward Joseph Lowe (1825-1900) was a renowned English botanist. His fascination with ferns led him to study and paint them throughout the entire 2nd half of the 19th century. After publication of Ferns: British and Exotic, Lowe continued to work with Benjamin Fawcett to create this publication in 1861. This popular work is a collection of 60 plants, sought to heighten appreciation for the natural beauty of leaves and to provide information about the cultivation of leaved plants. The illustrations were printed by Benjamin Fawcett (1808-1895), who created remarkable examples of color printing solely from woodblocks on an ordinary hand press. These Chromolithograph prints are printed on medium weight paper, blank reverse side. The antique prints are over 140 years old in very good condition, with bright paper and vivid image coloring.  These are highly collectible botanical prints.
The first true multicolor printing technique, Chromolithography, was invented around 1830. Previously, illustrations and prints were colored by hand. With Chromolithographs a printing stone or woodblock was used for each color application. Richly colored prints such as these required extensive work in preparation of the stone block and alignment of the registrations to ensure a clean print.