Georg Ehret - The Greatest Botanical Artist of The 1700s - Exhibition

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The spring exhibition in the William D. Rondina and Giovanni Foroni LoFaro Gallery will explore the life and work of botanical illustrator Georg Dionysius Ehret (1708–70). Gathered together for the first time for public viewing will be magnificent examples of Ehret’s paintings from public and private collections, alongside his published works from the holdings of the LuEsther T. Mertz Library.

Among the masterpieces displayed will be a copy of the only work produced and published by Ehret himself, entitled Plantae et papilliones rariores and produced in London between 1748 and 1762. It is the only work for which he also did all of the engravings. Two of the most sumptuous hand-colored natural history folios ever created, Plantae selectae and Hortus nitidissimis, will also be on view. They were published by one of Ehret’s greatest patrons, Dr. Christoph Jacob Trew, a wealthy Nuremberg physician. These works showcased Ehret’s talent to a broad audience and ensured his rise to become one of the most sought-after drawing teachers of his day. His works even served as designs for painters at the celebrated Chelsea Porcelain Factory. The beauty of Ehret’s compositions is all the more remarkable when one considers that he never received any formal art training.

Artwork in Georg Ehret: The Greatest Botanical Artist of the 1700s is on loan from the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, W. Graham Arader III, Jutta Buck, The Morgan Library & Museum, and the Collection of Mrs. Rachel Lambert Mellon’s Oak Spring Garden Library.

When: April 18-July 19

Where: Rondina and LoFaro Gallery of the Mertz Library,6th floor

Hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 10am - 6pm.

Admission: Adults: $20
Seniors/Students (w/valid ID): $18
Children (2–12): $8
Children (under 2): Free

Members: Free
Members’ guest passes must be redeemed on site on the day of your visit.