Today The Temple of Flora is a beguiling curiosity, while Buffon’s work is a scientific landmark. The new editions of these books reflect that difference: The plates of Flora are printed on sheets of heavy paper that, rather than being bound, are tucked inside a nearly 17-by-21-inch box—an over-the-top design that memorializes Thornton’s overgrown plans for the book. All the World’s Birds, meanwhile, has the heft of a large encyclopedia, possessing an elegant austerity that honors the seriousness of Buffon’s original endeavor. Both deserve a place in any library devoted to the art of natural history. Nature, after all, is the confluence of order and eccentricity.

"Natural Beauty" originally appeared in the September 2008 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's September 2008 Table of Contents.