Member Reviews

It’s amazing how many types of mushrooms there are in the world. This book is a compilation of 11 books of artists from Italy, France, Germany and Japan who drew them in the 18th and 19th century. You will find almost nothing but exquisitely drawn (some coloured) and highly detailed illustrations of the plant with brief captions. Cross sections are featured for some of them.

Mycologists or those who are into fungi botanical art will treasure this book. It’s made me think of drawing the mushrooms I found by the condo poolside!

Was this review helpful?

What a gorgeous book! Mycology is a fascinating subject and I’m excited to this this book as a reference for my art
Can’t wait for more beautiful botanical books like this!

Was this review helpful?

If you enjoy old botanical drawings this is pure gold. The drawings of the different kinds of mushrooms and fungi are wonderful and so very beautiful.

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely obsessed with this Mushroom artbook! The quality of artwork is incredible, even though an ebook I was awed at the level of skill. You can tell the artist is passionate about mushrooms, and it was so fun looking at the different kinds that exist! Like nature documentaries, it reminds me how big this planet is, and all the amazing things that are just outside our doors.

Was this review helpful?

All the illustrations in this book are gorgeous. I have never seen many of the types of mushrooms in here before and I enjoyed looking through them a lot. The information about the categories and the artists was interesting as well. I love cottagecore and this definitely helped fuel my obsession. I would recommend this for a fun read if you like nature and pretty art.

Was this review helpful?

All the illustrations were brilliantly done, and there were also descriptions of each category of mushroom at the beginning of the chapters. Definitely satisfied my need for a cottagecore read (unintentional rhyme, sorry)!

Was this review helpful?

Really beautiful illustrations! The book takes us on a trip through time by way of Mushrooms! It can't get much more delightful than that. Some are super scientific and belong in text books while some illustrations would be at home as artwork in a museum. My favorite were the blue ones and especially the reds ones. I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. And if you love mushroom botanical art, you'll enjoy it too.

Was this review helpful?

These beautiful illustrations would be absolutely stunning in print. I really enjoyed seeing all the different types of mushrooms, many of which I have never seen before. There's just something so cool about all of the different shapes, colors, and patterns. This would make a great display book for your coffee table, to be flipped through and enjoyed by all.

Was this review helpful?

This is an awesome collection of mushroom art. The artwork is very interesting and the information about the artists is also really interesting. It was cool to read that these were all used as records in the time before photography.

Was this review helpful?

I have always loved botanical art but mostly flowers and foliage. Only recently did I start being fascinated with fungi. Two of the books I have enjoyed the most this year had fungi at its core (Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia). I officially became a fan of Kingdom Fungi when I saw Fantastic Fungi on Netflix.

Mushroom Botanical Art is a must-have collection not only for fungi enthusiasts, it is also a great art and historical reference. The illustrations date as far back as the 18th century but the clarity and details are unbelievable. I also think this is the first time I saw Japanese botanical art of mushrooms and I love the aesthetic so much. Each page is a piece of art--  absolutely gorgeous and presented in a luxurious edition.

Was this review helpful?

This is a beautiful book that gives due space to the prints that it showcases, allowing every lovely image to stand on its own rather than cramming too much into a limited space. The topic of mushrooms and mycology has gained increasing attention and popularity in recent years, and this book would be an appealing companion for anyone with an affection for fungi. It is easy to recommend as a gift or as a research source. The international perspective is a particularly remarkable feature, connecting to significant art-historical touchstones that had wide-reaching impacts on visual culture to the present day.

Was this review helpful?

This was a beautiful book! I especially loved seeing the illustrations from Japan as most of my other mushroom books only feature ones from Europe. It was a treat to see mushrooms in Edo period style.

Was this review helpful?

You might be thinking, Mushroom art? Really? But these incredible organisms are a huge part of our planet’s ecosystem, and these paintings are simply breathtaking. Whether you admire them as a scientific curiosity or have been steeped in the childhood magic of mushrooms as homes for fairies, and all manner of fairytale creatures, you’ll be enraptured by these gorgeous artworks

Was this review helpful?

I’m still not sure why I even “read“ this, but the illustrations were absolutely gorgeous, so no regrets.

Was this review helpful?

This is an adorable reference/art book - a perfect gift for any nature lover.

Delicate and gorgeous drawings and identification of various types of mushrooms. I loved flipping through it!

Was this review helpful?

This book is filled with beautiful illustrations. A wonderfully curated collection that is perfect for nature lovers as well as art lovers.
I enjoyed it immensely.

Was this review helpful?

This was so cute, I loved the art. Many of these illustrations could be used as inspiration for embroidery, even, and I'm really looking forward to it.

Was this review helpful?

This book was absolutely gorgeous and the illustrations looked absolutely gorgeous and provided amazing amounts of inspiration.

It was filled with information about all of the artists and inspired me greatly

*a big thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me an arc copy in exchange for an honest review *

Was this review helpful?

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. The art was very beautiful and lively. Very helpful information to have. A delightful book for any nature lover.

Was this review helpful?

This book is gorgeous. It absolutely fascinates me that every piece of beautiful, botanical artwork predates photography. The amount of detail involved in each illustration is amazing, I find it so interesting that people relied on these images for scientific accuracy. I particularly love the Japanese illustrations, there's something so lovely about the Japanese text around the pictures. This would make a gorgeous gift for fungi enthusiasts, or botanical artists, but I think anybody would find this book enjoyable.

Was this review helpful?