Portraits of a Garden V

Portraits of a Garden V: the 2010 BBG Florilegium Exhibition had its opening reception Tuesday afternoon in the Steinhardt Gallery. This new exhibit is a beautiful offering of art from talented Florilegium artists and honors the Florilegium's 10 year anniversary.

A florilegium is a collection of artwork representing plants of a specific area.

Florilegia became prominent in Europe in the 1600s during the golden age of plant exploration. Wealthy garden owners commissioned artists to paint or draw newly discovered and rare plants collected from the far corners of the world. Botanical illustrations were also compiled to record the exotic finds of expeditions.

Today, three major florilegia have revised this 400-year-old tradition, including the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Florilegium, in the U.S., and the Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium and Highgrove Florilegium of HRH Prince Charles, in England.

Portraits of a Garden V: the 2010 BBG Florilegium Exhibition will be on display in the Steinhardt Gallery until Sunday, November 28.