Botanical Illustrator Maud Purdy Featured by Google Cultural Institute

Soon after Brooklyn Botanic Garden was founded a century ago, an artist named Maud Purdy joined the Garden as a botanical illustrator. At that time, it was common for scientific institutions to employ staff artists to document their collections. But Purdy's vivid floral paintings stood out for their artistry and precision.

This year, the Garden contributed a virtual exhibit of Purdy's work to Google Cultural Institute's Natural History project. Other botanic gardens, zoos, and science museums have also contributed to this digital archive of plants and animals, fossils, preserved specimens, slides, and illustrations.