Herbalism is characterized with Oriental medicine and pharmacy and recognition and differenciation of herbals in their growing environment is the most important in herbalism. Traditionally, herbal illustrations function as visual description of herbalism works and they are auxiliaries and assistance for readers to recognize characteristics of herbal plants. In the evolution process, herbal illusions develop into independent books from its original usage. The scientific and artistic figures are more and more prominent, but the importance of herbal illustrations has not been paid much attention to. Especially, the research results that extend the research field of herbal illustrations to the history of art, history of cultural industry and aesthetics has not seen. This paper starts from the historical evolution of atlas in Diannan Materia Medica from different versions in different historical periods, sorts out the characteristics of representative herbal illusions and analyzes the reasons for its evolution,summarizes historical rules and regulations behind them. As an attempt to study this field with the history of art, the history of cultural industry and aesthetic method,this study reveals some valuable information in herbal illusions.