The Temple of Flora, 1984

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Arion Press’s 1984 edition of Temple of Flora features twenty-eight large-scale, black-and-white drypoints and engravings by the noted American painter and printmaker Jim Dine, which were designed to complement a series of poems and botanical notes selected by the book’s editors. This limited-edition book was inspired by the original “Temple of Flora,” published in 1807 by the English physician and botanist Dr. Robert John Thornton (1765¬–1837). Thornton had paired oversized color plates of flowers, set in dramatic landscapes, with inspirational poetry and notes on flower lore and legend. For his exuberant floral illustrations, Dine used a number of unconventional cutting tools such as electric drills and grinders to achieve linear variation and subtle shifts in tone, ranging from soft grays to deep blacks.

Details
Title
The Temple of Flora
Artist Life
born 1935
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2018.123.75
Provenance
William P. Kosmas, London, England (d. 2017); Estate of William P. Kosmas, Minneapolis; given to MIA, 2018.
Catalogue Raisonne
D'Oench/Feinberg 177
Curator Approved

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