Cattleya dowiana

This portrait of Cattleya dowiana, one of the loveliest of the cattleya orchid species, is a reproduction of a colored lithograph by Walter Hood Fitch (1817-1892), from James Bateman's Second Century of Orchidaceous Plants, a beautiful 19th-century English work on orchids. Fitch was renowned for his unique ability to realistically portray complex plants, as well as execute his own engravings and lithographs. His spectacular illustrations of orchids helped spur the orchid mania that overtook Europe in the 19th century.

Cattleya dowiana has been a treasure for collectors since its discovery in 1850. It is the only cattleya species of the Cattleya labiata group that has yellow sepals and petals, and a crimson purple lip veined with gold.

The botanical image measures 10” x 10”. It is matted and framed in a wooden frame with walnut veneer. The frames measure 17¾" x 17¼" 

From the Collections of the LuEsther T. Mertz Library at The New York Botanical Garden. 


18¼