Artwork
Fig; Medlar
Fig; Medlar is a watercolor work on paper by the Early Baroque Italian artist Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues. It dates from 1568 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
This watercolour is titled Fig; Medlar. It's a work by Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues.
The painting is one of 59 watercolours of fruit and flowers that Le Moyne de Morgues created. They were likely painted between 1568 and 1572, when he fled to England.
To learn more about the style and context of this work, look up the movement: Renaissance.
Overview
This watercolour, titled Fig; Medlar, is one of 59 botanical illustrations of fruit and flowers created by Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues on 33 sheets. Executed in watercolour, the work's precise date is unknown but is attributed to the period between 1568 and 1572.
Subject & Meaning
The subject of this watercolour is a detailed representation of a fig and a medlar. The naturalistic rendering suggests the artist worked from living specimens, reflecting a 16th-century revival in botanical illustration practices that emphasized direct observation of nature.
Technique & Style
Le Moyne de Morgues employed watercolour to achieve a high degree of naturalistic detail in the fig's depiction, characteristic of Renaissance-era botanical art that valued accuracy and realism, often inspired by direct study of natural subjects.
History & Provenance
Originally bound in a late 16th-century tooled-leather book, the watercolours were identified as Le Moyne de Morgues' work in 1922. They were subsequently removed, mounted individually, with the original binding now housed at the National Art Library, V&A.
Context
Painted during Le Moyne de Morgues' exile in England (c. 1568-1572), following his flight from religious persecution in France, this work contextualizes the artistic output of Huguenot refugees during this period, influenced by broader Renaissance artistic trends.
Legacy
As part of Le Moyne de Morgues' corpus of botanical watercolours, Fig; Medlar contributes to the historical record of Renaissance botanical illustration, highlighting the intersection of art, science, and the religious migrations of the time.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues (French pronunciation: ; c. 1533–1588) was a French artist and member of Jean Ribault's expedition to the New World. His depictions of Native American life and culture, colonial life, and…
