ART | THE BOTANIST RESTAURANT

THE FATHER OF BOTANY

Modern botany traces its roots back to Ancient Greece specifically to Theophrastus (c. 371–287 BC), a student of Aristotle who invented and described many of its principles and is widely regarded in the scientific community as the “Father of Botany”. His two large botanical works, “On the History of Plants” and “On the Causes of Plants” were so comprehensive that 1,800 years went by before any new discovery in botany was made. These works were an important influence on Renaissance science.

Modern antiquity becomes our source of inspiration for artworks selected for The Botanist restaurant at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel. The art considered makes references to antiquity through the use of materials, mythical themes and/or speaks to Theophrastus’ scientific and philosophical studies. Set against the lush and elegant environment in the restaurant and bar, the art layers a philosophical, mystical, and intellectual tone.

The Father of Botany had interests that were wide-ranging, extending from biology, physics, ethics and metaphysics. Theophrastus’ book “Characters” deserves special attention. The work contains thirty brief, vigorous anthropological descriptions of moral types, which form an account of the social world in his epoch, and of human nature more broadly. They are the first recorded attempt at systematic character writing. Well known in classical and modern literature, these descriptions of the dark side of human morality have served as the templates for archetypal figures since their composition.

The collection of framed illustrations in the private dining room is from the 1824 edition, “The Characters of Theophrastus” by Francis Howell.