Orchid
Drawing
1841 (painted)
1841 (painted)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Victorian plant collectors became fanatical about orchids; some enthusiasts amassed more than 18,000 plants. Samuel Holden painted many species in private collections.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Titles |
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| Materials and techniques | Watercolour |
| Brief description | Orchid (Rhynchostylis gigantea) by Samuel Holden (active 1830-50); watercolour, England; 1841 |
| Physical description | Botanical study of an orchid, with bulbous root and long bright green leaves, the flower with purple spots and magenta lip. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | S. Holden / 1841. (Signature in ink, below upper stalk) |
| Gallery label | NB this species has since been reidentified with the help of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 25/05/2011 as Rhynchostylis gigantea, so the label is now incorrect (A Bilclough).
Samuel Holden active 1830-50
Orchid (Cattleya amethystoglossa Linden & Rchb.f. ex R. Warner)
1841
The Cattleya genus was first discovered in 1817 in Pernambuco, Brazil. In the wild, the orchid attaches itself to trees and rocks to attract more moisture. This growing habit is reflected in Holden's horizontal presentation.
England
Watercolour
V&A: 8378.14(2011) |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Victorian plant collectors became fanatical about orchids; some enthusiasts amassed more than 18,000 plants. Samuel Holden painted many species in private collections. |
| Bibliographic reference | [Identification of species by Andre Schuiteman, Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 8378:14 |
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| Record created | June 30, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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