Temple of Flora, or, Garden of the Botanist, Poet, Painter, and Philosopher

Robert John Thornton

Temple of Flora, or, Garden of the Botanist, Poet, Painter, and Philosopher

[London]

[Thornton]

[1812]

Temple of Flora is one of the most celebrated botanical books of the eighteenth century, known for its unusual depictions of flowers set against monumental and classical backgrounds. 

This is the first quarto edition, reduced from the magnificent folio edition of 1807. It has been dubbed the “lottery” edition because its plates may have been used as prizes in the “Botanical Lottery” that Thornton was forced to organize to stave off bankruptcy caused by production of the folio edition.