RHS Orchids

A guide to the stunning collection of Orchid Award Portraits from the Lindley Collections at the Royal Horticultural Society,
with over 130 beautiful works of art that reproduce orchids to a scientific level of precision.

Orchids have long held a place of esteem and fascination in the horticultural world. In the 19th century, orchid collecting reached new fanatical heights, with explorers dispatched to every corner of the globe in search of new varieties that could be auctioned at extravagant prices, and orchids are still one of the most popular flowers to breed and buy to this day. These beautiful, diverse flowers are one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with over 30,000 species and over 181,500 hybrids and cultivars.

The RHS Orchid Committee have commissioned watercolours of over 7,000 award-winning hybrids that demonstrate particular value in their fabulous array of colours, patterns, sizes and shapes. Through these paintings, stories of high stakes orchid breeding and exhibiting are explored, with a cast of characters who helped shape the horticultural world we know today, alongside the dedicated artists who still support their endeavours.

About the Author
Charlotte Brooks is the Art Curator at the RHS Lindley Library in London, where she has worked with the botanical art collection for 15 years. She has published a number of short articles on aspects of the collection, as well as RHS Botanical Illustration: The Gold Medal Winners (ACC Art Books, 2019), and has an ongoing research interest into 19th century Anglo-Chinese botanical art. Charlotte also serves as Secretary to the RHS Botanical Art Judging Panel, which sees contemporary artists from all over the world exhibit their work.