Why it’s bloom time again for botanical art

Joeanna Rebello FernandesTNN
May 19, 2026 | 19:34 IST

The practice of drawing plants in minute, scientific detail is resurging in India, and a growing breed of enthusiasts, on the cusp of art and science, are helping document our flora, deepen observation and support conservation efforts

After nearly a century of decline, a certain species has begun to repopulate the plant kingdom: the botanical artist. Observed in parks and plains, often in the shaded understory of trees, they occur both as solitary specimens and in scattered clusters, typically found bent over sketchbooks in close contemplation of vegetation.

Botanical art is the detailed depiction of an idealized plant specimen in ink and watercolour, rendered in fine lines that trace the plant's form across seasons and stages of growth to foreground defining features and hidden anatomy.
Copyright © 2024 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service.