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Leontodon Taraxacum

Print
ca. 1777 (printed and published)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

William Kilburn worked as a botanical illustrator. He produced most of the plates in the first volume of William Curtis's Flora Londinensis, a field guide to the wild flowers of London. This was a serial publication that came out between 1777 and 1798.

This plate is based on Kilburn's design. The original watercolour survives in the Botany Library of the Natural History Museum in London. One of the subscribers to the Flora Londinensis, Sir Thomas Frankland, wrote regularly to Curtis with criticisms and comments. On 21 December 1778 he wrote to praise Kilburn's contributions, saying: ‘There is an uncommon taste in his drawing & I often regret he has deserted you’.

Kilburn had served an apprenticeship (a period of training for a trade) in a cotton-printing factory in Dublin in Ireland. When he moved to London he continued to sell designs to calico-printers. He gave up his work as a botanical illustrator to go back to the textile industry, where he could earn more money. Eventually he owned his own calico-printing factory, for which he designed exquisitely detailed floral patterns. A volume of his designs for textiles is in the V&A collection.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Leontodon Taraxacum (assigned by artist)
  • Dandelion (popular title)
  • Taraxacum officinale F. H. Wigg. aggr. (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Engraving, coloured by hand
Brief description
Botanical illustration by William Kilburn, 'Leontoden Taraxacum' or 'Dandelion', plate from Curtis's 'Flora Londinensis', British, engraving, ca. 1777
Physical description
Engraving depicting the dandelion complete with roots, with two yellow flowers, several unopened buds and a white dandelion clock and dissections of the plant parts across the bottom.
Dimensions
  • Sheet height: 36.5cm
  • Sheet width: 27.8cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Leontodon Taraxacum'. (Lower centre)
  • Kilburn pinxt et facut (Lower right corner)
  • [plant parts numbered 1-11]
Subjects depicted
Summary
William Kilburn worked as a botanical illustrator. He produced most of the plates in the first volume of William Curtis's Flora Londinensis, a field guide to the wild flowers of London. This was a serial publication that came out between 1777 and 1798.

This plate is based on Kilburn's design. The original watercolour survives in the Botany Library of the Natural History Museum in London. One of the subscribers to the Flora Londinensis, Sir Thomas Frankland, wrote regularly to Curtis with criticisms and comments. On 21 December 1778 he wrote to praise Kilburn's contributions, saying: ‘There is an uncommon taste in his drawing & I often regret he has deserted you’.

Kilburn had served an apprenticeship (a period of training for a trade) in a cotton-printing factory in Dublin in Ireland. When he moved to London he continued to sell designs to calico-printers. He gave up his work as a botanical illustrator to go back to the textile industry, where he could earn more money. Eventually he owned his own calico-printing factory, for which he designed exquisitely detailed floral patterns. A volume of his designs for textiles is in the V&A collection.
Bibliographic references
  • Kilburn, William. Flora Londinensis. London, 1777-1798. pl. 107
  • Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints, Drawings and Paintings Accession Register for 1996
Collection
Accession number
E.455-1996

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Record createdDecember 17, 2003
Record URL
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