Images(5)

The Flower-Garden Display'd

Date1732

After work by Robert Furber (c. 1674 - 1756)

Text attributed to Richard Bradley (1688 - 1732)

OriginEngland, London

MediumLine engraving and etching with hand color on laid paper

DimensionsOverall: 10 1/2 × 8 5/16in. (26.7 × 21.2cm)

Credit LineBequest of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Hennage

Object number2020-413

DescriptionTitle reads: "THE/Flower/ GARDEN/ Display'd/ in above 400 curious/ REPRESENTATIONS/ of the most Beautifull/ FLOWERS/ Printed for/ J. HAZARD/ R. MONTAGU/ W. BICKERTON/ R. CHANDLER/ & C. WARD"

Quatro size book with 12 hand colored engravings
Label TextRobert Furber’s prints the "Twelve Months of Flowers" were an immediate success and, accordingly, knock-offs quickly followed suit. In 1732, a small anonymous book entitled "The Flower-garden Display’d" was published by a group of booksellers in London containing “the Designs of Mr Furber and others.” The quarto-sized (10 1/2” x 8 1/3”), more affordable book contained reduced copies of Furber and Casteels designs with text later attributed to Richard Bradley, professor of botany at Cambridge between 1724-1732. Furber was swift to condemn the book as a copy, stating in March 1732 that, “…those Prints are only Copies, and that we are not any ways concern’d in ‘em, but the Originals, which are only sold by us…” He also published another notice in the London papers to “prevent the Publick being imposed on by spurious Copies sold about town” with the exact dimensions of his print’s plate marks (for size), authorized retailers, and identifying marks. Despite these efforts, the imitations continued. The library of William Byrd II of Westover, lists a copy of The Flower-garden Display’d.