Artwork
Traité des arbres fruitiers: Royal d'hiver
Traité des arbres fruitiers: Royal d'hiver is a print by the Romanticist artist Henri Louis Duhamel du Monceau. It is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Henri Louis Duhamel du Monceau’s 1822 print titled *Traité des arbres fruitiers: Royal d’hiver* depicts a single branch bearing a large, rounded fruit, identified as a winter pear. The composition is set against an unadorned white background, directing attention to the botanical details of leaf, flower, and bud. The work is part of the Cleveland Museum of Art’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The illustration serves as a visual entry in a horticultural treatise, documenting the characteristics of the ‘Royal d’hiver’ pear variety. By presenting the fruit, foliage, and accompanying blossoms together, the image conveys both the plant’s seasonal cycle and its diagnostic features for identification and cultivation.
Technique & Style
Executed as a detailed print, the image employs fine line work and subtle washes of soft green, pink, and red to render leaves and flowers. The delicate rendering of white petals with red centers and the crisp rendering of the fruit’s surface reflect the scientific illustration tradition of the early nineteenth century, prioritising accuracy over decorative flourish.
History & Provenance
Created in 1822, the print originates from Duhamel du Monceau’s broader botanical publications. It entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition (date of accession not specified), where it remains accessible for study of historic horticultural documentation and early printmaking techniques.
Artist & collection
Artist
Henri Louis Duhamel du Monceau
Henri Louis Duhamel du Monceau (1700–1782) was a French artist.
