Capturing Nature
The human relationship with plants is ancient and profound. Plants are so ubiquitous in our lives that many of us may not notice them anymore, but it is time to see them again, both for our own well-being and that of the earth. All are invited to join us for a panel discussion that will highlight three aspects of the plant-human association—art, medicine, and science.
Free and open to all, registration requested.
Panelists and presentation topics:
Jody Williams, botanical artist and Director of the American Society of Botanical Artists
Botanical art, what is it? How is it different from scientific illustration and other art genres? How is it relevant in the age of digital photography? Did you know that it is experiencing a global renaissance? Jody Williams will answer these questions during her presentation with examples of beautiful historical and contemporary botanical art.
Elizabeth Brander, Head of Rare Books, Becker Medical Library, WashU
Plants were perhaps the most important ingredients in medieval and early modern pharmacopeia, and they formed the bedrock of most medicinal remedies. But how did the apothecaries and physicians of the past understand the contents of their medicine chests? They believed that their efficacy depended on their intrinsic humoral qualities, an ancient way of understanding the world that defined medicine from antiquity to the 19th century.
Dr. Jordan Teisher, Herbarium Director, Missouri Botanical Gardens
An herbarium is a collection of dried plant specimens, and one of the largest herbaria in the world is here in Saint Louis at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Botanists have used these collections for several hundred years to help discover and describe plant diversity and to study the biology and classification of plants around the world. Dr. Teisher will explain how the herbarium at the Missouri Botanical Garden has been made, used, and maintained for more than 150 years.
Capturing Nature
The Capturing Nature exhibition examines how humans have attempted to capture, study, depict, and use plants over the centuries.
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