High-definition diagrams of star fruit and rhododendron on display at the Museum of Art and Photography (MAP) in Bengaluru as part of the exhibition 'Paper Gardens: Art, Botany, and Empire'.In an era before swift transportation and high-definition photography, the earliest botanists relied on artists to create detailed diagrams and drawings. An extensive collection of these is the subject of the Museum of Art and Photography’s (MAP) latest exhibit in Bengaluru, ‘Paper Gardens: Art, Botany, and Empire’. The artworks are drawn from MAP’s own collection as well as sources including the Linnean Society and others.From avocados to acacia and tamarind – visitors will see plants in a way rarely thought of outside scientific circles.The earliest works on display here are copperplate engravings from the 17th-century treatise Hortus Malabaricus, compiled by Hendrik van Reede, the Dutch Governor of Cochin, based on the assistance of herbalist Itty Achudan. Most other works on display are coloured lithographs. Sources of local knowledge, like Achudan, would have been essential for colonial efforts at documentation.According to curator Shrey Maurya, “There was a period of intense scientific activity….between the 17th and 20th centuries. There was a frenzy of botanic activity for multiple reasons – European colonisation bringing new lands and resources, including plants. By the 19th century, you also had Enlightenment ideals in Europe, and botany was one of the disciplines being born.”The Hortus Malabaricus itself would prove to be a major foundation in early botany, being referred to by major researchers at the time, including Carl Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy. Often, European colonists could not transport and replant these plants elsewhere. In this context, these detailed diagrams would help them identify species later. The colonial nature of these endeavours often shines through in the name of the species depicted in these artworks – often, they are named in honour of prominent Englishmen of the time, with a bare few named after Indian artists or gardeners.Indian artists were essential to this process, with colonial researchers often recruiting existing artists from existing traditions, such as the artists of aristocratic courts, who would already have been familiar with stylised floral motifs. Their skills were rapidly applied to highly realistic and detailed artworks of plants, depicting different parts of the plant in a manner that highlighted key features.Other aspects of colonial botanical efforts are also on display. Extensive efforts by the British led to the discovery of many species of rhododendron, which are some of the most popular non-native plant species in Great Britain to this day.Story continues below this adFrom a Bengaluru perspective, the exhibit will also include artworks by Bengaluru-based artists and copies of botanical artwork currently in the archives of Lalbagh. The exhibit will also be accompanied by a book that shares its name, including essays by historian Holly Shafer, botanist Dr Henry Noltie, and writer Sumana Roy. One of the more unique items on display will be a Wardian case, a form of early miniature greenhouse.The new exhibit will be open to the public upon purchasing a ticket, beginning March 7 and closing on July 5.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd