Exploring the works of various Botanical Artists for the upcoming Botanical Drawing Workshop has been too wonderful not to share. When I stumbled across these orchid illustration by Frederick William Thomas Burbidge, a British explorer and botanist. The illustrations are from the volume Jennings, S., Orchids and how to grow them in India and other tropical climates, (1875) [F.W.T. Burbridge]. Looking at these beautifully colored images, one can almost smell the orchids. I wish I could find out more information about the circumstances under which they were painted, the exact medium used, and whether they were made on an expedition or in a conservatory.
An incredible resource is the website http://plantillustrations.org/artists.php, and archive of Botanical Illustrations with many high res scans. Check it out and see what you discover!