The Snowdrop (1804) is a mezzotint engraving from The Temple of Flora (1799-1807), "one of the greatest ever flower books". It was compiled by Dr Robert John Thornton (1768-1837), a physician and botanical writer who lectured on medical botany, and featured plates by a number of artists reproduced using a variety of techniques. Mezzotint is type of intaglio printing which gives soft gradations of tone; here it allows the snowdrops and crocuses to stand out against the winter landscape.