Robert John Thornton

Robert John Thornton (1799)

Robert John Thornton (1768–1837) was an English physician and botanical writer, noted for "A New Illustration of the Sexual System of Carolus Von Linnæus" (1797-1807) and "The British Flora" of 1812.

Life

He was the son of Bonnell Thornton and studied at Trinity College, Cambridge.^[1] Inspired by Thomas Martyn's lectures on botany and the work of Linnaeus he switched from the church to medicine. He worked at Guy's Hospital in London, where he later lectured in medical botany. After spending some time abroad, he settled and practised in London. Robert inherited the family fortune after the death of both his brother and mother.^[2]

Thornton died in destitution.

Works

The most ambitious part of the "New Illustration of the Sexual System of Linnæus" was Part III, the "Temple of Flora" (1799-1807).^[3] The first plates were engraved by Thomas Medland in May 1798, from paintings by Philip Reinagle. Between 1798 and 1807, they produced a total of thirty-three coloured plates, engraved in aquatint, stipple and line. When he planned the project, Thornton had decided to publish seventy folio-size plates. Lack of interest from the general public spelled disaster for the scheme, and the holding of a lottery could not save it from financial ruin, neither did a page in the work dedicated to the spouse of George III, Queen Charlotte, patroness of botany and the fine arts.

Gallery

• 

  Alpinia zerumbet as syn. Renealmia nutans in Temple of Flora by Robert John Thornton, 1812

• 

  Snowdrop, The Temple of Flora (1797-1810)

References

1. "Thornton, Robert John (THNN786RJ)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
2. Lazarus, M. H.; Pardoe, H. S.; National Museums & Galleries of Wales (2003). Catalogue of Botanical Prints and Drawings at the National Museums & Galleries of Wales (Digitized online by gooGle books). ISBN 978-0-7200-0525-7. Retrieved 2008-12-27. Cite uses deprecated parameter |coauthor= (help)
3. Audubon House Gallery of Natural History. "Dr. Robert John Thornton".
4. "Author Query for 'Thornton'". International Plant Names Index.

External links

Media related to Robert John Thornton at Wikimedia Commons

•  "Thornton, Robert John". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
• New illustration of the sexual system of Carolus von Linnaeus
• The book

Further reading

• de Bray, Lys (2001). The Art of Botanical Illustration: A history of classic illustrators and their achievements, pp. 77–85. Quantum Publishing Ltd., London. ISBN 1-86160-425-4.