- Title: Phalaenopsis Schilleriana
- Author: Walter Hood Fitch
- Date: c.1865
- Condition: Excellent - scattered foxing
- Inches: 12 3/4 x 9 7/8 [Image]
- Centimeters: 32.38 x 25.08 [Image]
- Product ID: 308437
Phalaenopsis Schilleriana is a striking epiphytic orchid species, native and endemic to the Philippines, particularly found on Luzon and nearby islands. It is renowned for both its spectacular floral displays and attractive foliage, making it a favorite among orchid enthusiasts and collectors.
Background on Creator
Walter Hood Fitch (1817-1892) was born in Glasgow, Scotland. From a young age, he demonstrated artistic talent and began formal training as a pattern drawer at a textile mill by the age of 13. This early apprenticeship, which involved creating intricate designs for calico fabric and mastering the complex process of engraving and color matching, laid the technical foundation for his later work as a botanical illustrator.
Fitch’s career in botanical art began after a pivotal meeting with William Jackson Hooker, the Regius Professor of Botany at Glasgow University and editor of Curtis’s Botanical Magazine. Impressed by Fitch’s skill and attention to detail, Hooker bought him out of his apprenticeship and employed him to produce botanical illustrations for the magazine. Fitch’s first published lithograph, of Mimulus roseus, appeared in 1834.