James Sowerby

Not to be confused with Sowerby's son James De Carle Sowerby, also a naturalist and illustrator or Sowerby's grandson, James Sowerby (1815–1834).

James Sowerby
James Sowerby painted by Thomas Heaphy (1816)
Born21 March 1757 (1757-03-21)
Lambeth, London, England
Died25 October 1822(1822-10-25) (aged 65)
Lambeth, London, England
EducationRoyal Academy of Arts
Occupation(s)Illustrator, naturalist, publisher
SpouseAnne Brettingham De Carle
ChildrenJames de Carle, George Brettingham, Charles Edward
Parent(s)John Sowerby, Arabella Goodspeed

James Sowerby (21 March 1757 – 25 October 1822) was an English naturalist, illustrator and mineralogist. Contributions to published works, such as A Specimen of the Botany of New Holland or English Botany, include his detailed and appealing plates. The use of vivid colour and accessible texts was intended to reach a widening audience in works of natural history.[1] The standard author abbreviation Sowerby is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.[2]

  1. ^ Henderson, Paul (2015). James Sowerby; the Enlightenment's natural historian. London: Kew Publishing with the Natural History Museum. ISBN 978-1-84246-596-7.
  2. ^ International Plant Names Index.  Sowerby.