The Life and Work of John Bradby Blake (1745-1773)

Rediscovering an Early European Encounter with the Plants of China

[To see details of this particular session please scroll down to the bottom beyond the listings and the 2nd pic]

John Bradby Blake’s life was short but exceptional. During a span of only three years in the southern Chinese port city of Canton, Blake and his Chinese artist(s) produced several hundred exquisite, botanically accurate, coloured drawings of Chinese plants, many of which were unknown in the West. Hidden from public view for more than two centuries, these singular and historically crucial collaborative artistic creations have only recently resurfaced.

This series of six illustrated talks, focussing on the botanical drawings, will lead you into a previously unknown world in London and Canton, which Blake participated in and shaped. It will explore the many meanings of the material results of a rich and unique cross-cultural encounter which continued to reverberate for decades after his death.

Our speakers, who have worked closely together on the Blake drawings and associated, scattered manuscripts and texts (in Chinese and western languages), are experts in the fields of botany, art history, garden history and the history of science; and they come to you from the United Kingdom, the United States and Taiwan.

This ticket is for this individual session and costs £5, and you may purchase a ticket for other individual sessions, costing £5 via the links below (where you may also read more information on the individual talks), or you may purchase a ticket for the entire course of 6 sessions at a cost of £24 via the link here.

[Due to a recent Apple decision to charge a 30% fee for paid online events unfortunately you may no longer be able to purchase this ticket from the Eventbrite iOS app. Please use a web browser on desktop or mobile to purchase, or follow the link here.]

Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk. A link to the recorded session (available for 1 week) will be sent shortly afterwards.

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Week 1: 7 February: An Englishman Abroad. Part of a series of 6 online lectures, £5 each or all 6 for £24.

Week 2: 14 February: From London to Canton and Back. Part of a series of 6 online lectures, £5 each or all 6 for £24.

Week 3: 21 February: The Chinese Flora. Part of a series of 6 online lectures, £5 each or all 6 for £24.

Week 4: 28 February: Unspoken Questions. Part of a series of 6 online lectures, £5 each or all 6 for £24.

Week 5: 7 March: Blake and the Chinese Court. Part of a series of 6 online lectures, £5 each or all 6 for £24.

Week 6: 14 March: Panel Discussion. Part of a series of 6 online lectures, £5 each or all 6 for £24.

Week 6. 14 March: Panel Discussion with Jordan Goodman, Yu-chih Lai, Winnie Wong, Josepha Richard and Peter Crane about this series of talks.

Jordan Goodman, Yu-chih Lai, Winnie Wong, Josepha Richard and Peter Crane in a general discussion which will engage with those questions raised during the talks that cut across a number of the topics explored and draw out future research into the remarkable collaborative East-West activities and networks that the Bradby Blake drawings and manuscripts have revealed.

Images: © Oak Spring Garden Foundation