Artwork

Colchicum variegatum (plettet tidløs); Bulbocodium vernum (vår-lysblomst); Sternbergia lutea (almindelig sternbergia)

Colchicum variegatum (plettet tidløs); Bulbocodium vernum (vår-lysblomst); Sternbergia lutea (almindelig sternbergia) is an unspecified work on paper by Unknown. It dates from 1654 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1654, this botanical illustration depicts three distinct flowering species—Colchicum variegatum, Bulbocodium vernum and Sternbergia lutea. Rendered in a precise, linear style, the work presents each plant with its bulb, tangled root system, slender green stem and a single bloom in shades of purple, yellow or pink, set against a neutral background.

Subject & Meaning

The image serves as a visual catalogue of rare bulbous plants, identifying each specimen by its Latin name. By isolating the flowers from surrounding foliage, the drawing emphasizes diagnostic features—flower colour, stem length and root structure—facilitating recognition for scholars, gardeners and collectors of the period.

Technique & Style

Executed with fine pen work and subtle washes, the illustration employs thin layers of pigment to suggest volume while preserving a flat, diagrammatic quality. The careful rendering of textures, from the brown, fibrous bulbs to the delicate petals, reflects the scientific illustration conventions of the mid‑seventeenth century, where accuracy outweighed decorative flourish.

History & Provenance

Attributed to the artist recorded as 35199_person, the piece entered the collection of the Museum of Ethnography, where it remains on display. Its dating to circa 1654 places it within a period of growing interest in botanical documentation, coinciding with the expansion of herbals and plant manuals across Europe.