The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art

The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art is the first gallery in the world dedicated solely to botanical art.

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The interior of the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art

Inside the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art

The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art

Opening times

The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art is open from 9.30am - 5.30pm daily. Our programme of exhibitions can change several times a year. During the changeover, sections of the gallery will remain open, so whenever you visit there will always be botanical illustrations on display.

Ticket prices

Admission is free with entry to the Gardens. More information.

Buy tickets to Kew: Adults £14,50 concessions £12.50, children under 17 get in FREE!

How to find us

The gallery is located within Kew Gardens and is close to Victoria Gate and Lion Gate. You can find us opposite the Temperate House.

Please click here to see a map of the gardens.

Contact

For more information on the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art please email shirleysherwoodgallery@kew.org or telephone: 020 8332 3622.

Did you know?

  • Kew still commissions around 100 botanical illustrations a year.
  • The earliest surviving illustrated botanical work is the Codex vindobonensis. It is a copy of Dioscorides’ de Materia Medica, and was made in the year 512 for Juliana Anicia, daughter of the former Western Roman Emperor Olybrius.
  • As part of the Wallich and Indian Natural History project, the plant drawings, specimens and correspondence which make up the Nathaniel Wallich Collection are being reunited. You can now see these online here.
  • Addison Publishers have published a set of fine art prints to commemorate each decade of Her Majesty's reign, specially selected from the works of seven pioneering master botanical painters from the collections at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 

About the collection

The emergence of botanical illustration as a genre of art dates back to the 15th century, when herbals (books describing the culinary and medicinal uses of plants) were printed containing illustrations of flowers. As printing techniques advanced, and new plants came to Europe from Ottoman Turkey in the 16th century, wealthy individuals and botanic gardens commissioned artists to record the beauty of these exotics in ‘Florilegia’. At Kew, Sir Joseph Banks employed Franz Bauer as “Botanick Painter to His Majesty” and also sent artists on plant-collecting expeditions.

As well as being beautiful, botanical illustrations became important scientific records through which plants were named and classified. Franz Bauer had a particularly accurate eye for detail. An image of a pollen grain he drew in the 18th century, using only a basic microscope, was later proved by a scanning electron microscope to be entirely accurate. Other important botanical illustrators include Walter Hood Fitch, who completed 10,000 drawings while working as Kew’s principal artist between 1837 and 1877.

Kew’s archives contain 200,000 works of botanical art. These include pieces by 18th and 19th century masters, including Ehret, Redouté and the Bauer brothers, along with works by contemporary artists. In 2008 Kew opened a new gallery to display these works alongside pieces from the collection of Dr Shirley Sherwood. Dr Sherwood’s collection includes illustrations by contemporary artists living in 30 countries. Connected to the Marianne North Gallery, and with a carefully controlled interior climate, the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art is the first public gallery in the world dedicated to showing botanical art.

Talks and Courses

We frequently have botanical illustration courses in Kew Gardens. If you want to find out more about in any of Kew's courses, please email adult education adulted@kew.org or telephone 020 8332 5626.

Art on Demand

Botanical art prints from Kew's collection are available to buy through Kew's online print shop.

Kew Images

We offer images from Kew's unique and extensive photographic and botanical art collections, historic archives and publications, for media and design agencies, publishers, authors and academics. Please click here to go to the image library.

13 comments on 'The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art'

Samantha says

25/03/2012 12:11:00 PM | Report abuse

I visited Kew Gardens on a school trip and it was amazing! I absolutely loved all of it and the paintings in the gallery were beautiful. I will just have to go back to Kew Gardens again to see as much as I can. Everything there is just so beautiful!

Feedback Team says

17/08/2010 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

Thanks for your comment Peggy. Unfortunately there is no exhibition catalogue for the Bulbmania exhibition. You can find out a bit more about the exhibition here: http://www.kew.org/visit-kew-gardens/whats-on/bulbmania-flowers-from-the-kew-collection.htm

Peggy Turchette says

16/08/2010 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

I won't get to see the Bulbmania exhibit in person, but I'm hoping there might be a book or exhibition catalog. Any plans for that? Thank you

Julie Catchpole says

02/03/2010 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

have just read The Art of Plant Evolution, a beautiful book - I wish I could see the exhibition- tricky when you are on the other side of the world!. Does or will aspects of the Shirley Sherwood collection travel and if so - ever to "Down-under" (I run a public art gallery in NZ)

Kew Digital Media Team says

09/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

Dear Ivone, Further to your question below regarding courses, I've emailed you a leaflet from the course organisers, Orient-Express - please contact them to book or if you have any queries. With best wishes, Kew Digital Media Team

Making A Mark says

01/11/2009 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

Can we please have a clearer link to this page from the entry to the website. At present on the Garden attractions page this page is linked as "coming soon"

Kew_DigitalMediaTeam says

20/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

Thank you for your question. I have forwarded this to the Courses team for information and any response will be posted here. Please note that if you would like to contact anyone in the meantime, you can email our Visitor Information Team at info@kew.org.

Ivone de Figueiredo says

20/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

Hello there, I have been told that Orient-Express Hotels has a worldwide programme of Botanical and Flower Painting Master Classes in different global locations. These classes, I am told, are designed by Dr Shirley Sherwood, same of the Shirley Sherwood Gallery at Kew. Is there any way to find any information on these courses in 2010, specifically any that may be run in South Africa (I know that one of the last courses offered in South Africa was at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town in 2006). I would be most interested in any information you may have. Thanks and Regards, Ivone de Figueiredo

Kew_DigitalMediaTeam says

12/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

Hi Liz, thanks for your comment. Our event updates for the Shirley Sherwood Gallery are coming soon online. You'll be able to find them in the 'What's on' section under 'Visit Kew Gardens'. Sorry for the wait...

Liz Fraser says

10/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

This is a fantastic showcase for botanical art and artists, but how do you find out what is on in the gallery at the moment? Did I miss a link on Kew's home page?

alex.bridcut says

09/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

I agree with the comment above. I'm going to visit the gallery tomorrow but had to search around to find information on the exhibition.

Kew Digital Media Team says

09/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

Thanks for your feedback. We'll be updating this page shortly with more recent information and updates. This will then result in it being included in the list.

says

08/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

I have thoroughly enjoyed my visits to this gallery. Why does it not appear in the alphabetical list of attractions nor on any website map - or have I missed it?

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