Artwork
Stavesacre; Lavender
Stavesacre; Lavender is a watercolor work on paper by the Barbizon school artist Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues. It dates from 1568 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This small watercolor sheet is part of a 59‑page album of botanical studies created around 1575.
About this work
Overview
This small watercolor sheet is part of a 59‑page album of botanical studies created around 1575. The French Huguenot artist Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues rendered a stavesacre on the front and lavender on the back, a format shared by several pages in the collection.
Subject & Meaning
The two botanical subjects are a stavesacre (Delphinium) plant and a lavender (Lavandula) sprig, each depicted with careful attention to leaf shape, flower structure and overall habit, reflecting the scientific interest in accurately recording plant forms during the Renaissance.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolor on paper, the images display fine, translucent washes combined with precise linear drawing. Le Moyne’s approach balances decorative elegance with observational detail, characteristic of early modern French botanical illustration.
History & Provenance
Attributed to Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues (1533–1588), the album remained largely unknown until its rediscovery in the early twentieth century. The work was previously thought to be a set of simple woodcut designs, but the watercolor studies revealed a higher artistic and scientific ambition.
Context
Created in the latter half of the sixteenth century, the album reflects the growing European fascination with cataloguing flora for medicinal and horticultural purposes. Le Moyne’s Huguenot background placed him within a network of exiled French artists contributing to the diffusion of botanical knowledge.
Legacy
The re‑evaluation of Le Moyne’s watercolors positioned him among the earliest notable botanical painters, influencing subsequent generations of naturalists and illustrators who sought to combine aesthetic appeal with scientific accuracy.
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…
