Art Institute of Chicago

Nature Print of Moonwort and Adder's Tongue Ferns, plate 51 from The Ferns of Great Britain and Ireland

Henry Bradbury

Date

1855

Medium

Color soft ground etching, from botanical specimens, inked à la poupée, on off-white wove paper

Culture

England

Department

Prints and Drawings

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Moving beyond mezzotint’s reproductive capabilities, Henry Bradbury used botanical specimens impressed into lead for his lifelike prints of plants. The matrix was electroplated, inked in multiple colors, and printed. This image comes from Bradbury’s most famous publication, but the impression may have been printed separately, as it lists his name prominently. Although Bradbury adjusted the technique, he did not invent it. Alois Auer and Andreas Worring had in fact discovered it in Vienna in 1852, but Bradbury neglected to mention them when he patented his version. The ensuing controversy may have contributed to Bradbury’s suicide by poisoned soda water in London’s Cremorne Gardens.

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