Artwork

Dendrobium aurantiroseum, a New Guinea orchid

Dendrobium aurantiroseum, a New Guinea orchid, by Jillian McDougall, watercolor, 1983
Dendrobium aurantiroseum, a New Guinea orchid, by Jillian McDougall, watercolor, 1983

Dendrobium aurantiroseum, a New Guinea orchid is a watercolor work on paper by the Contemporary Abstract artist Jillian McDougall. It dates from 1983 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

Dendrobium aurantiroseum, a New Guinea orchid is a watercolour painting created in 1983 by Jillian McDougall.

Subject & Meaning

The painting depicts a single orchid with pink petals amidst a tangle of ferns and moss, rendered in delicate watercolour strokes. The artist's focus on botanical detail suggests a scientific or illustrative purpose.

Technique & Style

The work showcases precise rendering of the orchid's features, such as the tiny hairs on its leaves and petal folds, characteristic of scientific illustration.

Artist & collection

Artist

Jillian McDougall

Jillian McDougall kept a studio down a steep staircase behind a fruit shop in Cairns, where the air smelled of mangoes and wet paper.