Outsider art: in praise of botanical paintings and illustrations

Not long ago, I accompanied a small group of American enthusiasts on a tour of some Italian gardens round Florence and Siena. As part of the package, I arranged for us to have access to a particular set of flower paintings in the Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe at the Uffizi, which are not normally on show. As it happened, the Uffizi was on strike the day we were to go, but the director sent a message that he'd meet us at a side door and let us in.






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