George Brookshaw (1751 - 1823) was born in Birmingham. Both Brookshaw and his brother trained as artisans. He apprenticed to a Birmingham painter called Samuel Troughton, but ran away in 1767, and not much is known of his formative years. In 1778 he established a London workshop and in the same year he married the daughter of a wealthy Birmingham gunsmith. Brookshaw mainly made stove-japanned and painted furniture for the top ranks of society. Once again, around mid-1790s his personal circumstances changed and he left the furniture trade for good. He decided to use his draughtsman’s skills to become a professional botanical illustrator. His work attracted many distinguished patrons since he had the superior and sophisticated skills that were associated with French designs. Brookshaw’s reputation was such that he shared prestigious commissions with the likes of Robert Adam, the famous architect and designer.
He was a highly skilled botanical painter and excelled in figurative and landscape designs as well. Being commercially minded, he recognized that his reputation rested on innovative techniques and styles. Brookshaw described his work as a ‘new species of painting.’ However, he was careful not to reveal his methods. He worked on a commission in Hanover Square, where he painted behind locked doors. During the 19th century, his collection, the Pomona Britannica, was considered to be unrivaled in its excellence, it is still considered like so to date. It was during a time when many great flower paintings were produced in England. In Aquatint Engravings of S.T. Pomona Britannica is described as "one of the finest color plate folios in existence."
