In 1775, William Curtis (1746–1799) published the first instalment of his magnum opus Flora Londinensis (‘Flora of London’). The first systematic study of London’s plant life, Curtis set out to describe ‘such plants as grow wild in the environs of London’. Curtis’s ambitious project includes 432 engraved plates illustrating botanical descriptions of each species in Latin and English.

In this workshop, we’ll begin by thinking about Curtis’s description of the botany of London 250 years ago and also look at 18th-century maps that show us South London as it was in Curtis’s day. Then, taking inspiration from the hand-coloured plates of Curtis’s Flora Londinensis, we will make pen and wash drawings of plants growing in the environs of the South London Botanical Institute.

This workshop is open to all levels of experience. Everyone is welcome!

About the workshop leader

Alixe Bovey is an art historian specialising in medieval illuminated manuscripts and visual storytelling. She is also interested in the relationship between art history and artistic practice. Her particular passion is drawing, especially in metalpoint, ink, and watercolour. She became interested in William Curtis’s Flora Londinensis by drawing plants growing wild in and around Streatham Hill. She is Professor of Medieval Art History at the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London, where she teaches an MA exploring representations of nature and the supernatural in medieval art.

Access

The building is not wheelchair accessible, and the workshop takes place on the first floor. If you have any access needs, please contact Maggie.Kanska@slbi.org.uk

Photo Credit: ‘Iris Pseudacorus’, William Curtis, Flora Londinensis: or Plates and descriptions of such plants as grow wild in the environs of London, vol. 2 (1798)

Drawing the Flora of London, 1775 and 2025: A Practical Workshop