Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana) — Signature Fine Art Print

The Chestnut Oak is a tree of rocky Appalachian ridges and dry upland slopes, named for its large leaves with rounded, wavy teeth that recall those of the American chestnut. Its thick, deeply furrowed bark was once prized for tanning leather, and its big, glossy acorns feed wildlife across the eastern forests.

This plate features Robert O'Brien's botanical illustration of the Chestnut Oak (Quercus montana), with its leaves in summer green and autumn russet and a detailed acorn study, the names lettered in his own hand beneath the image.

From The Signature Collection. Robert O'Brien lettered the names on this plate by hand, a personal mark that sets it apart from his typeset series. See all Signature prints.

About the print

• Hand-lettered by the artist on the plate
• Museum-quality giclée on 100% cotton rag Cold Press fine art paper, matte finish
• Archival inks, printed to order in the USA
• Ships unframed. Frame under glass or acrylic for best preservation.

About the artist

Robert O'Brien was one of the most prolific and widely published botanical illustrators in the United States. Specializing in trees for more than three decades, he illustrated nearly 100 forestry field guides and nature education publications for clients from Florida to Alaska, including the USDA Forest Service, the Smithsonian, the National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, with work also published in Austria, Canada, Sweden, Brazil and Mexico.

Educated at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Madrid, where he studied the master paintings of the Prado, he developed a distinctive method blending traditional painting with digital technique, achieving a level of botanical accuracy and detail rarely seen in the genre. His archive of more than 500 tree and plant illustrations is now cared for by his daughter, artist Kelly O'Brien.

"When I've nailed it, when I've gotten it right, that piece will go on living, long after I walk away from it." — Robert O'Brien