Daphne mezereum with butterfly thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level E , Case DP, Shelf 2, Box C

Daphne mezereum with butterfly

Watercolour
mid 18th century (painted)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Ehret was one of the greatest botanical illustrators working in the 18th century. He supplied illustrations for a number of important botanical publications. He was also closely involved in publicising and promoting the binomial system of plant classification that was devised by the Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus.

The way that the stems have been grouped, and the inclusion of a butterfly suggest that this watercolour was probably intended as a decorative painting rather than a scientific botanical illustration.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Title<i>Daphne mezereum</i> with butterfly (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Watercolour and gouache on vellum
Brief description
Watercolour and gouache on vellum depicting Daphne Mezereum with butterfly by George Dionysus Ehret, France, 18th century.
Physical description
Daphne Mezereum, with butterfly by George Dionysus Ehret; watercolour and gouache on vellum;
Subjects depicted
Summary
Ehret was one of the greatest botanical illustrators working in the 18th century. He supplied illustrations for a number of important botanical publications. He was also closely involved in publicising and promoting the binomial system of plant classification that was devised by the Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus.

The way that the stems have been grouped, and the inclusion of a butterfly suggest that this watercolour was probably intended as a decorative painting rather than a scientific botanical illustration.
Collection
Accession number
D.599-1886

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Record createdFebruary 14, 2003
Record URL
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