Drawn from the University of Melbourne Art Collection, this exhibition brought together celebrated works that illustrate the natural world in exquisite detail.

The bird prints commissioned and published by John Gould were made the mid-nineteenth century at the height of Europe's interest in science and natural history. The exactitude and fine aesthetic qualities of the lithographic illustrations set the benchmark for the highest standards in illustration for both scientific and artistic purposes.

Margaret Stones began her career in the 1950s and belongs to the scientific tradition of botanical illustration. Stones has achieved much international recognition for her illustrations throughout her career and is one of Australia's most renowned botanical artists. The exhibition included outstanding single illustrations of flowering plants as well as annotated sketches more akin to scientific studies.