A masterpiece of pomology
Excerpt from the book 'Pomona Britannica' by George Brookshaw.
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George Brookshaw's work is only ascertainable from 1777, when as a 26-year-old he went to London to work for some 20 years as a cabinetmaker, concentrating his efforts on building very fine, intricately designed pieces of furniture. He was so successful in this trade that he managed to secure the patronage of the English royal family. Documentation of painted pieces of furniture made by Brookshaw is provided by an acknowledgement of receipt by Prince George (1762-1830, from 1820 King George IV). Besides allegorical scenes, these high-quality cabinets, tables and mantelpieces displayed fine illustrations of fruits and floral bouquets. These fruit paintings on wood were an exquisite foretaste of Brookshaw's career change in the last decade of the 18th century.
Brookshaw began to focus more on his exceptional talent as a draughtsman and painter of vegetal motifs on paper. At the same time, he began to explore printing techniques he could use to best effect in reproducing his plant drawings. At the latest by the beginning of the 19th century George Brookshaw had become a valued and admired draughtsman and engraver of fruits and flowers. It was then that he embarked upon the complex and intensive work on his Pomona Britannica, which appeared in 1812.
The Pomona Britannica of 1812 - a heavenly work
Dedicated to His Royal Highness, George, Prince Regent and future King George IV, the Pomona Britannica of 1812 looks majestic even before its covers are opened. The pages of the copy in the museum at Greiz measure 580 x 460 mm and are bound between two sturdy book boards covered in contemporary brown leather. Decorative gilt borders are stamped into the leather. The letter E is impressed in gold leaf at the centre of both the front and back covers - the initial of Prince George's sister Elizabeth, erstwhile proud owner of this printed edition. The crimson paint on the spine draws the eye to the title of the work, stamped in gilt lettering in Roman capitals: BROOKSHAW'S POMONA BRITANNICA.
George Brookshaw - initiator, author and artist - intended to present the highest-quality fruits being cultivated in the splendid royal gardens at Hampton Court and in the important gardens on the outskirts of London. With this instructive pomological work Brookshaw intended, furthermore, to address country gentlemen in particular and introduce them to the abundance of varieties in an effort to encourage more extensive cultivation.
Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
George Brookshaw's work is only ascertainable from 1777, when as a 26-year-old he went to London to work for some 20 years as a cabinetmaker, concentrating his efforts on building very fine, intricately designed pieces of furniture. He was so successful in this trade that he managed to secure the patronage of the English royal family. Documentation of painted pieces of furniture made by Brookshaw is provided by an acknowledgement of receipt by Prince George (1762-1830, from 1820 King George IV). Besides allegorical scenes, these high-quality cabinets, tables and mantelpieces displayed fine illustrations of fruits and floral bouquets. These fruit paintings on wood were an exquisite foretaste of Brookshaw's career change in the last decade of the 18th century.
Brookshaw began to focus more on his exceptional talent as a draughtsman and painter of vegetal motifs on paper. At the same time, he began to explore printing techniques he could use to best effect in reproducing his plant drawings. At the latest by the beginning of the 19th century George Brookshaw had become a valued and admired draughtsman and engraver of fruits and flowers. It was then that he embarked upon the complex and intensive work on his Pomona Britannica, which appeared in 1812.
The Pomona Britannica of 1812 - a heavenly work
Dedicated to His Royal Highness, George, Prince Regent and future King George IV, the Pomona Britannica of 1812 looks majestic even before its covers are opened. The pages of the copy in the museum at Greiz measure 580 x 460 mm and are bound between two sturdy book boards covered in contemporary brown leather. Decorative gilt borders are stamped into the leather. The letter E is impressed in gold leaf at the centre of both the front and back covers - the initial of Prince George's sister Elizabeth, erstwhile proud owner of this printed edition. The crimson paint on the spine draws the eye to the title of the work, stamped in gilt lettering in Roman capitals: BROOKSHAW'S POMONA BRITANNICA.
George Brookshaw - initiator, author and artist - intended to present the highest-quality fruits being cultivated in the splendid royal gardens at Hampton Court and in the important gardens on the outskirts of London. With this instructive pomological work Brookshaw intended, furthermore, to address country gentlemen in particular and introduce them to the abundance of varieties in an effort to encourage more extensive cultivation.
Page [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Dosso Dossi. Detail of Allegory of Hercules (or Sorcery), c. 1540–1542