A gorgeous collection of mushroom and fungi artwork and information. Each chapter is filled to the brim with intricate artwork and detailing on the specific mushroom. This was honestly such a wonderful read and perfect for anyone interested in botany, artwork, or nature!

*Thanks Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review*

An absolutely beautiful and wonderful collection of fungi art, illustrations, drawings and pictures. It’s such a great compilation of many works from eminent experts and enthusiasts in the mycology field- mushrooms and fungi lovers would love this book!

There’s something so amazing about the level of detail in these artworks, and you can really tell the amount of time, love and effort went into the making of these from their respective artists.

I loved the brief little introductory opening prior to each set of illustrations, from whichever historical book, notable person or publication the pictures were shared from. They were beautifully displayed and it was effortless to go through all of these wonderful pieces of art which are all brought together, neat and tidy in this book. Was a great read!

This is an absolutely gorgeous book of information and illustrations of mushrooms. So many mushrooms! Each chapter is prefaced with history of the illustrator and region where the fungi can be found. In certain chapters we are also given information about how the illustrations were printed, which I thought was very interesting given the time period (most illustrations are from the 1700/1800s). Given the all of the effort that went into printing books back then it was truly a labor of love to have such depth and dimension in each illustration.

This book contains both colored illustrations and black and white. The colors used are very beautiful and rich in tone. Even the black and white illustrations are beautifully detailed. Most of the chapters reference European mycologists, but later chapters focus on the fungi found in Japan. The difference in art style was very interesting compared to the earlier drawn mushrooms found in Europe.

This book is a true gem for mycologists, general mushroom fanatics and anyone who finds beauty in nature. I look forward to purchasing a copy for myself. Thank you so much to NetGalley & the publisher for the opportunity to review this beautiful book.

This book and the gorgeous artwork within are sure to please any nature lover. The mushrooms presented are beautiful, detailed, and individual. This would be a great gift for any fungus lover!

Beautiful illustrations throughout the pages, I love embroidery and this would be a lovely book for anyone interested in botany, art, illustrations, painting or embroidery. I will definitely use it in my arts and crafts as shows mushrooms and fungi so perfectly.

This book is gorgeous. It absolutely fascinates me that every piece of beautiful, botanical artwork predates photography. The amount of detail involved in each illustration is amazing, I find it so interesting that people relied on these images for scientific accuracy. I particularly love the Japanese illustrations, there's something so lovely about the Japanese text around the pictures. This would make a gorgeous gift for fungi enthusiasts, or botanical artists, but I think anybody would find this book enjoyable.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. The art was very beautiful and lively. Very helpful information to have. A delightful book for any nature lover.

This book was absolutely gorgeous and the illustrations looked absolutely gorgeous and provided amazing amounts of inspiration.

It was filled with information about all of the artists and inspired me greatly

*a big thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me an arc copy in exchange for an honest review *

This was so cute, I loved the art. Many of these illustrations could be used as inspiration for embroidery, even, and I'm really looking forward to it.

This book is filled with beautiful illustrations. A wonderfully curated collection that is perfect for nature lovers as well as art lovers.
I enjoyed it immensely.

This is an adorable reference/art book - a perfect gift for any nature lover.

Delicate and gorgeous drawings and identification of various types of mushrooms. I loved flipping through it!

I’m still not sure why I even “read“ this, but the illustrations were absolutely gorgeous, so no regrets.

You might be thinking, Mushroom art? Really? But these incredible organisms are a huge part of our planet’s ecosystem, and these paintings are simply breathtaking. Whether you admire them as a scientific curiosity or have been steeped in the childhood magic of mushrooms as homes for fairies, and all manner of fairytale creatures, you’ll be enraptured by these gorgeous artworks

This was a beautiful book! I especially loved seeing the illustrations from Japan as most of my other mushroom books only feature ones from Europe. It was a treat to see mushrooms in Edo period style.

I have always loved botanical art but mostly flowers and foliage. Only recently did I start being fascinated with fungi. Two of the books I have enjoyed the most this year had fungi at its core (Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia). I officially became a fan of Kingdom Fungi when I saw Fantastic Fungi on Netflix.

Mushroom Botanical Art is a must-have collection not only for fungi enthusiasts, it is also a great art and historical reference. The illustrations date as far back as the 18th century but the clarity and details are unbelievable. I also think this is the first time I saw Japanese botanical art of mushrooms and I love the aesthetic so much. Each page is a piece of art--  absolutely gorgeous and presented in a luxurious edition.

This is an awesome collection of mushroom art. The artwork is very interesting and the information about the artists is also really interesting. It was cool to read that these were all used as records in the time before photography.

These beautiful illustrations would be absolutely stunning in print. I really enjoyed seeing all the different types of mushrooms, many of which I have never seen before. There's just something so cool about all of the different shapes, colors, and patterns. This would make a great display book for your coffee table, to be flipped through and enjoyed by all.

Really beautiful illustrations! The book takes us on a trip through time by way of Mushrooms! It can't get much more delightful than that. Some are super scientific and belong in text books while some illustrations would be at home as artwork in a museum. My favorite were the blue ones and especially the reds ones. I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. And if you love mushroom botanical art, you'll enjoy it too.

All the illustrations were brilliantly done, and there were also descriptions of each category of mushroom at the beginning of the chapters. Definitely satisfied my need for a cottagecore read (unintentional rhyme, sorry)!

All the illustrations in this book are gorgeous. I have never seen many of the types of mushrooms in here before and I enjoyed looking through them a lot. The information about the categories and the artists was interesting as well. I love cottagecore and this definitely helped fuel my obsession. I would recommend this for a fun read if you like nature and pretty art.

Absolutely obsessed with this Mushroom artbook! The quality of artwork is incredible, even though an ebook I was awed at the level of skill. You can tell the artist is passionate about mushrooms, and it was so fun looking at the different kinds that exist! Like nature documentaries, it reminds me how big this planet is, and all the amazing things that are just outside our doors.

If you enjoy old botanical drawings this is pure gold. The drawings of the different kinds of mushrooms and fungi are wonderful and so very beautiful.

What a gorgeous book! Mycology is a fascinating subject and I’m excited to this this book as a reference for my art
Can’t wait for more beautiful botanical books like this!

It’s amazing how many types of mushrooms there are in the world. This book is a compilation of 11 books of artists from Italy, France, Germany and Japan who drew them in the 18th and 19th century. You will find almost nothing but exquisitely drawn (some coloured) and highly detailed illustrations of the plant with brief captions. Cross sections are featured for some of them.

Mycologists or those who are into fungi botanical art will treasure this book. It’s made me think of drawing the mushrooms I found by the condo poolside!

I don't know what it is about mushrooms... they're just cute! I can't help but enthusiastically point at them when I discover a whole cluster during a walk in the woods. These illustrations have an almost meditative effect on me - they make for great art references, and I plan to use them for background inspiration for my next drawings.

A wonderful collections of prints of various species of mushrooms accompanied by their common name and scientific name. A quaint little book that would make a wonderful gift for a friend or family member who enjoys the outdoors / foraging.

I asked myself, “Do I want to look at a book full of mushroom art?” And I said, “Yes, yes I do.” I’m happy I did, because this book was beautiful. It was a great collection of artwork from a bygone era that had to rely on these talented artists to record their scientific findings. I love botanical artwork and have no regrets reading this book. Looking at beautiful plant artwork is very relaxing.

I don't know how to review art, but here is me trying.

This book is a collection of, as the title suggests, mushroom botanical art. I found this very interesting and I loved the showcasing of different botanists and artists! I do wish there were some actual info about the mushrooms but again, this was really cool for what it is!

If you are a fan of art and/or fungi, check this one out!

4.5 ☆

As a graduated ecologist I really like reading about nature. Reading books about the wonderful kingdom of Fungus is another plus.

I really loved the illustrations and the book can serve as an introduction to the kingdom. So, it is highly accessible for everyone.

I would highly recommend it.

I may not know much about mushrooms but I have always been fascinated with them. As a child we'd go foraging for them in local parks (in a big city).
We'd bring them home and my grandmother would pickle them. So my interest in them started at a young age and it continued into adulthood when I started photographing them as I came
across them in the woods.

This book is so beautifully illustrated and it's even more impressive when you realize these were created in Italy, Germany, France and Japan during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Filled with intricate details, and often rendered in delicate hues of greens and blues, this book would be a great buy for anyone into mycology but also a more casual fan of fungi or those that
appreciate botanical prints. I could also see this being used by artists as a reference guide or maybe for some tattoo inspiration?

Chock-full of interesting and historical mushroom illustrations. A book like this is making headway at just the right time, because mushrooms and botanical drawings have never been trendier. I can see teenagers pasting pages from this book to their bedroom walls to suit their cottage-core aesthetic.

I really appreciate the multi-cultural aspect, it’s so interesting to see different art styles between countries.

I would have liked to see more information about mushroom identification and warnings about eating wild mushrooms.

This book is absolutely GORGEOUS. I wish I could print out every page and have it as a poster in my room. This is the perfect book for Fall to get you in the spirit!

Contents:
In the book there are collections of mushroom pictures by various naturalists. They include works from the 18th and 19th centuries and show very different mushrooms in various states. Some of the mushrooms are cut in half so you can see what they look like from the inside. Others are depicted as they grow in nature.

Opinion:
A beautiful book for artists and mushroom lovers. The illustrations are all lovingly done with lots of detail and in my opinion, are a great source of inspiration to paint a new picture. Most of the illustrations are in color. Some of them are shown as drawings in the book.

Conclusion:
A great and very comprehensive book, for artists looking for a source of inspiration. Therefore, I am only too happy to give it 5 out of 5 stars.

I loved the various artistic approaches in depicting the fungus. It was colorful, beautiful, and I was looking forward to the wide variety displayed. I appreciated the information before each section, but I'd have liked more description about each mushroom. It is more of a showcase of art than an informative book, but it is still a worthwhile read.

Absolutely stunning collection of historical mushroom illustrations. The illustrations are carefully curated, featuring artists from different time priods from all over the world. Each botanical illustrator is introduced, we're given an overview of their work and their contribution to mycology, as well as which mediums they have worked in. However, don't go into this book expecting detailed information about the depicted mushrooms, since this is only an art book, all the information is strictly about the artists. The design of the book is great, the illustrations are really high quality, this book would be a wonderful gift to a mycologist and artist alike.

This is a beautiful book featuring collected pieces of artwork from black and white to full color. I thoroughly enjoyed each illustration and the care the author put into the curation of this collection, including a small introduction into each collection's origin book, I enjoyed the excerpt included from Battarra the most. I expected classic toadstool varieties, but the author also included lesser known shapes that resembled eggs, horns, and coral. This book could be utilized for science or art as reference, or just enjoyed by the casual botanical enthusiast. This book was provided to me in return for an honest review.

Thank you to the author, publisher, designers, and NetGalley for the chance to provide some honest feedback for this publication. Going in, I didn't know much about the subject matter. Despite this fact, I found the book to be a great mix of visually appealing illustrations/graphics and knowledge. I believe that this book is good for a range of readers, including those who just have budding interest to those more keen. Additionally, what sets this book apart from others like it is its graphic appeal. The cover is brilliant -- modern, minimal but interesting. The rest of the book follows suit. I loved this read.

An incredible timeline of people’s curiosity concerning mushrooms! Packed with delicate and vibrant illustrations from the 18th and 19th century, this is a book that mycologists, enthusiasts and artists alike will appreciate. I enjoyed reading the bite sized biographies of those who brought this art to light; particularly that of Kumagusu Minakata, who researched mushrooms throughout Japan, the US and UK, leaving thousands of drawings and information behind. A treasure trove of natural history. Thank you NetGalley!

Toshimitsu Fukiharu guides us through various artists' works of mushroom botanical art throughout history. We learn about the artists across the globe from England to Japan who document their native mushrooms. Through a professional lens, we see how these artists choose to identify and differentiate the mushrooms as well as the scientific regard and importance of each fungi presented.

Beautiful collection of vintage prints. I like that there was context provided for the impact certain series of prints had historically. Ultimately, this is more of a coffee table book than a treatise on botanical art.

A beautiful, informative book filled to the brim with lovely color photos and illustrations of all kinds of mushrooms! Perfect for a mushroom-enthusiast or for someone looking to learn more about these precious fungi. Highly recommend everyone give it a read!

This book is beautifully illustrated. Most of the drawings were in color, but some were in black and white. I liked the ones in color most as mushrooms have lots of interesting colors.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a collection of very old public domain artwork of mushrooms. Some collections are in full color but many are not. Some are definitely more artistic and it is not terribly complete. There are some much nicer collections in the public domain out there IMHO, but some of these are lovely and it's certainly going to be a hit with any mushroom lovers.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

5 *stars*
What a beautiful book!!! Latvians during fall become crazy mushroom pickers, they will do everything to get home with a basket full of mushrooms. Mushroom sauce with freshly harvested potatoes is one of traditional Latvian foods. I myself am a passionate mushroom picker, so I really loved the illustrations. A lot of the pictures I recognized.

As I was watching the little pieces of mushroom art I was thinking of the artists who drew them. I imagine them walking through the forest with pencils and a notebook, sitting on the old stump and drawing them. Hearing all the forest sounds and just being there in the moment drawing them. Sounds so lovely.

Thanks for the book!
#MushroomBotanicalArt #NetGalley

Well this book delivers exactly what it promises. Mushrooms! I can't say I loved this book, but that is mostly because it isn't my style. I do love the history behind it, I just don't like mushrooms. I feel like this would be a fantastic gift for a chef /foodie in your life. I will totally buy it for my friend who loves to go mushroom harvesting

I’m a simple girl, I see a pretty cover with illustrated mushrooms and I have to get it.

Look at this cover, it’s so gorgeous and the inside it’s just the same, every single illustration was so well done, I’m in awe.

I’m going to be honest and say that I don’t know much about mushrooms outside of the very basic of how they grow and that the colorful ones are the most dangerous but I found this book so very interesting, I could sense the love and care that the authors of the illustrations put on this work, the fact that some of this pictures are dated centuries ago just make this book even more special.

I now just want to move to the countryside and go mushroom hunting.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange of an honest review

This is one of the most beautiful books i have ever seen in my life. Every page makes you want to take it and frame it on your wall.

I adore art (and i am an artist) and i was so so inspired by all of the beautiful works collected in this book and i can’t wait to refer back to it for years to come.

Mushroom Botanical Art is a collection of reproductions of historical botanical prints of mushrooms and other fungi. Originally published in Japanese in 2012, this English language edition is due out 2nd Nov 2021 from Media Do International. It's 208 pages and will be available in ebook format (earlier editions are available in other formats).

This book is full of antique reproduction hand tinted botanical prints with samples of many different species of fungi, showing them in different forms, life stages, and settings. The whole has a retro antique feel, and the page margin decorations, small chapter headings, and fonts used all enhance the overall antique feel.

The chapters are selected from different historical books of mycology from the 18th - 20th centuries and from several disparate geographical areas in Asia, Europe, and the New World. The pictures are drawn from 11 collections and the style of the artist/naturalists and original media varied widely. I was fascinated by how varied the representations of the same species, Amanita muscaria for example, could be whilst still being perfectly recognizable. The reproduction text is still in the original languages (German, Japanese, Italian, French, etc).

It's a fascinating book of history with beautiful illustrations. I would not recommend it as a field guide, but as an interesting book full of fungi, it's wonderful. This would make a nice selection for public library acquisition, for gardeners, gardening groups, smallholders, and lovers of botanical art.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Beautiful botanical book plates! The gorgeous illustrations in this tome take us back centuries. Back before we could snap photos on cameras, or use an identification app, how could we learn all the intricate identifiers of mushrooms? How could we learn to safely forage and use these little wonders for medicine and food? These highly detailed, highly scientific illustrations filled that need, and it's amazing to see how varied the styles could be, even for the same plant. Any fancier of fungi is sure to love this mycological volume!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

A compilation of mushroom beautiful, highly-detailed illustrations by 18th and 19th C artists, with short blurbs for context. While I wouldn't give this to someone as a general nonfiction recommendation, I would put it on display frequently and resist weeding it for as long as possible. This book is a treasure for the right audience.