Dish, c.1800

The fashion for botanically accurate painting of plants corresponded with the general interest in natural history and biology during the second half of the 18^th century. Painters copied or adapted their designs from various publications on botanical subjects, such as Philip Miller’s <i>“Gardener’s Dictionary”</i> (1756) or William Curtis’ <i>“The Botanical Magazine, or, Flower Garden Displayed”</i> (edited from 1787). On the reverse of this dish the name of the plant is given in Latin and English: <i>Fumaria Cava/ Hollow-Toothed Fumitory</i>. English botanical decoration reached its peak at Derby in the late 18^th century and has continued to be a very popular subject until today.

Image from: Derby Museum and Art Gallery