Dangerous Beauty explores the striking and often deceptive allure of poisonous plants through historical botanical illustration. Drawn from rare books and medical botany texts found in the Louise B. Belsterling Botanical Collection, this exhibition highlights species once valued for beauty, medicine, and ritual use—and at times intentionally misused, even when their dangers were known. From the delicate bells of foxglove to the dark berries of deadly nightshade, these plants reveal a long history of experimentation,…
Dangerous Beauty explores the striking and often deceptive allure of poisonous plants through historical botanical illustration. Drawn from rare books and medical botany texts found in the Louise B. Belsterling Botanical Collection, this exhibition highlights species once valued for beauty, medicine, and ritual use—and at times intentionally misused, even when their dangers were known. From the delicate bells of foxglove to the dark berries of deadly nightshade, these plants reveal a long history of experimentation,…