Botanical Illustration of Aster by James Sowerby

James Sowerby (1757-1822) created watercolours to illustrate his 36-volume work on the botany of England. Prior to this major project he had collaborated with botanist William Curtis – who had established a botanical garden in Lambeth-providing illustrations for his Flora Londinensis (1777) and the Botanical Magazine (first published in 1787).

This illustration shows Aster alpinus, commonly called the Blue Alpine Daisy, a herbaceous perennial which is native to the Alps and Pyrenees.