Moements with Georg Dionysus Ehret (1708-1770)
and Plantae Selectae.  First published in 1750.

Georg Dionysus Ehret, was the foremost botanical illustrator of the 18th century. Ehret's father was a gardener and illustrator and was his first tutor. He described himself as a perpetual student, always learning and acquiring botanical knowledge from books he read and heeding advice from his peers  .

He attained a profound knowledge of plant structure which can be seen in his work.  Ehret's talent was that of keen observation, a steady hand and perseverence to cultivate the skills of his craft

His family links with the Chelsea Botanical Garden in London placed him in an an ideal position to produce many 'portraits' of the new arrivals and exotics of flora to the botanical garden. Approximately 100 of his best studies drawn from living plants, appeared in Christopher Trew's Plantae Selectae, including magnolia, papaya, fig, banana, lily and the night flowering cereus.