From the first photographic reproductions made for scientific purposes to modern illustrations: microscopy, infrared, ultraviolet, satellite, and time-lapse images tell the story of contemporary themes, from climate change to air quality, from agricultural sustainability to the management of urban greenery and forestry. The photographic section of the exhibition Impronte – Noi e le piante (‘Imprints – We and Plants’) organised by the Botanical Garden of the University of Parma (Parma, January/March 2024), comes to Padova.

Historically, the purpose of botanical illustrations was initially practical and didactic: illustrations were not used to discover the world of plants, but to educate the medical profession about medicinal plants. The first illustrations were often of a decorative nature, useless for identifying specific species, but useful for memorising and studying, while the focus on biodiversity came later.

If botanists once brought illustrators with them into the field, today researchers welcome visual artists into the laboratory to create scientifically impeccable, colour-enhanced images. These digital illustrations serve a research and dissemination function, often ending up on the covers of the most prestigious scientific journals and infusing the objectivity of science with a touch of human flair. Plants, in the Eyes of Science opens on Thursday 25 April as part of the Risvegli festival and can be visited in the Foyer during the opening hours of the Garden, included in the entrance fee, until 29 September 2024.

Image by Craig P. Burrows, Head of Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt.
Ultraviolet light-induced visible fluorescence (UVIVF) photograph, 2016. Courtesy of the author