This July, in recognition of the bicentenary of Hooker’s birth, the students of the Chelsea School of Botanical Art will exhibit a selection of botanical illustrations of plants relating to the Victorian explorer.
The exhibition, From Halesworth to the Himalayas: A Legacy of Beauty, runs from July 1-19 in Suffolk’s Halesworth Gallery. Works by the students are on offer for prices starting at £250.
“The list of plants named after Hooker is extensive though many of the species are no longer the same as they were when discovered by him,” said Helen Allen, founder and principal of the Chelsea School of Botanical Art. “Some are very rare and protected. Therefore, in some cases, our artists have selected the current version to paint.”
Hooker at auction
Hooker took over the role of director at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, from his father, William Jackson Hooker, and remained there for 20 years. His travels took him to the Antarctic, the Himalayas, Palestine, Morocco and the Western US.
Recent appearances of his works at auction include a copy of his Himalayan journals, which took £380 at Tennants sale in January 2016, and 12 coloured lithographed plates from the work which took £230 at Dominic Winter Auctions in April the same year. In 2000, an early edition of the Himalayan journals took £15,525 at a Christie's London ssale.
Also included in the exhibition are examples of some examples of Hooker’s illustrations (which are not for sale) as well as pieces by the school’s alumni.
Allen added: “We plan to show visitors the tools and progression of creating a botanical painting, which traditionally combines art and science.”
