Miltonia blunti

Jean Jules Linden prints bring the color and variety of tropical orchids into your home. Linden was a Luxembourg-born Belgian botanist, explorer and nurseryman who built a famous orchid business and published some of the finest illustrated orchid books of the 19th century. This collection gathers art prints of the hand-colored orchid plates from his books, from showy Cattleya and Phalaenopsis to delicate Masdevallia and Odontoglossum.

About Jean Jules Linden

Jean Jules Linden was born in Luxembourg in February 1817 and studied at the Athénée in Luxembourg and then at the Free University of Brussels. In 1835 the Belgian government sent him, with Nicolas Funck and Auguste Ghiesbreght, on a scientific expedition to Latin America. They collected plants and animals in Brazil, then in Cuba and Mexico, and on later journeys Linden traveled through Venezuela, Colombia and the Caribbean. In all, his travels lasted about ten years.

Linden studied orchids in the wild and recorded the conditions they grew in. His findings changed how orchids were grown in Europe: until then they had been kept far too hot, and many died. In 1845 he married Anna Reuter in Luxembourg, and from 1851 to 1861 he directed the zoological and botanical garden in Brussels.

He went on to build an orchid business with greenhouses ranging from cool to warm, with branches in Brussels, Ghent and Paris, selling plants across Europe as far as the Russian court. His son Lucien later took over the business and the orchid publications. Linden died in Brussels on 12 January 1898.

Style and Subjects

The pictures in this collection are botanical plates from the orchid books Linden published and edited. Each plate shows a single orchid species or variety, drawn with scientific care and printed in rich, hand-finished color against a plain background.

The subjects range from large, ruffled Cattleya and moth-like Phalaenopsis to spotted Odontoglossum, spidery Brassia and tiny, strange Masdevallia. Many were rare new plants, recently brought to Europe from the tropics, and the plates were made to show their exact shape and coloring.

Famous Works

• Pescatorea: Iconographie des Orchidées (1854–1860). An early illustrated orchid book, named after the collector Jean-Pierre Pescatore, whose orchid collection Linden helped create.
• Hortus Lindenianus (1859–1860). A picture record of new plants introduced by Linden's nursery in Brussels.
• L'Illustration horticole (1870–1896). The horticultural magazine he published for more than 25 years.
• Lindenia: Iconographie des Orchidées (1885–1906). His great 17-volume orchid book, edited with his son Lucien and Emile Rodigas, source of most plates in this collection.
• Cattleya aurea (from Lindenia). A golden-lipped Cattleya, typical of the showy orchids in the book.
• Vanda lindeni (from Lindenia). A Vanda orchid bearing Linden's name.

Decorating with Linden Prints

Orchid plates are a natural choice for bathrooms, bedrooms and sunrooms, where their pinks, purples, yellows and greens add a fresh, botanical touch. A set of three or four in matching frames looks especially good in a row or grid.

They also suit a kitchen, home office or hallway in a modern or classic interior, and pair well with real houseplants, rattan, light wood and white walls.

FAQ

Who was Jean Jules Linden?

Linden was a Luxembourg-born Belgian botanist, explorer, horticulturist and businessman who specialized in orchids. He collected plants in Latin America and built one of the best-known orchid businesses in Europe.

What is Lindenia?

Lindenia: Iconographie des Orchidées is a 17-volume illustrated book of orchids published in Ghent from 1885 to 1906. Linden's son Lucien and Emile Rodigas were its chief editors, and its colored plates are among the best-known orchid illustrations.

Did Jean Jules Linden paint the orchid plates himself?

No. Linden was a botanist and publisher rather than a painter. The plates in his books were made by botanical artists and printers working for his publications.

How did Linden change orchid growing?

By studying orchids in their natural habitats, he showed that most did not need the very high temperatures used in European greenhouses. Growing them in cool, intermediate and warm houses greatly reduced losses.

Where are Linden's original books today?

His books are held in botanical and university libraries, and many have been digitized and can be read online.

Related Artists

• Pierre-Joseph Redouté — the most famous botanical painter of flowers, from the generation before
• Ernst Haeckel — 19th-century naturalist known for richly illustrated scientific plates
• John Gould — 19th-century publisher of illustrated natural history books