About the artist
John Edward Sowerby, a British botanical illustrator and publisher, was born in Lambeth, London on 17 January 1825 and lived until 28 January 1870. As a part of the Sowerby lineage, he was the firstborn of Charles Edward Sowerby and the grandchild of James Sowerby. John’s penchant for botanical illustration was apparent early on. His debut work emerged in 1841, contributing illustrations to his father's 'Catalogue of British Plants'. He spent the bulk of his life collaborating on botanical illustrations with Charles Johnson (1791–1880) and Charles Pierpoint Johnson, who supplied textual content. His sole independent publication was the 1865 work, ‘An Illustrated Key to the Natural Orders of British Wild Flowers’.
