Botanica Magnifica

A luxurious book featuring 250 stunning photographs representing rare or exotic plants and flowers Botanica Magnifica features 250 stunning photographs representing - in the words of an ARTnews critic - rare or exotic plants and flowers “in large scale and exquisite detail, emerging from the shadows in a manner evocative of Old Master paintings." The original edition of Botanica Magnifica, consisting of five lavishly hand-bound volumes, was limited to just ten copies, the first of which was recently donated to the Smithsonian Institution. The extra-large “double-elephant” format of that edition was chosen in homage to the famous double-elephant folio of The Birds of America, and indeed, Botanica Magnifica is one of the few works of natural history ever to rival Audubon s magnum opus in its scope and artistry. In praise of the double-elephant folio of Botanica Magnifica, the Smithsonian s Chairman of Botany attested, “Everyone who has seen the photographs…has been tremendously impressed with the power, scale, and depth of the work." Now Singer s remarkable images are available to the public for the first time in this hardcover with slipcase, baby-elephant folio of Botanica Magnifica. This volume is organised into five alphabetically arranged sections, each introduced by a gatefold page that displays one extraordinary plant at a luxurious size. Each pictured plant is accompanied by a clear and accessible description of its botany, geography, folklore, history, and conservation. Botanica Magnifica is one of the most impressive volumes of natural history ever published.