Who painted Cattleya Mendelii Quorndon House Var.?

Cattleya Mendelii Quorndon House Var. was painted by Gustav Leutzsch in 1840.

Where can I see Cattleya Mendelii Quorndon House Var.?

Cattleya Mendelii Quorndon House Var. is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Cattleya Mendelii Quorndon House Var.?

Cattleya Mendelii Quorndon House Var. is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Cattleya Mendelii Quorndon House Var.

Gustav Leutzsch , 1840

Cattleya Mendelii Quorndon House Var. is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Gustav Leutzsch. It dates from 1840 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Gustav Leutzsch’s 1840 color lithograph titled *Cattleya Mendelii Quorndon House Var.* presents a close‑up study of two white orchids. The blossoms, edged with a soft pink hue and subtly curled at their tips, rest upon a robust green stem and broad foliage, all rendered against an unobtrusive light background.

Subject & Meaning

The work focuses on the delicate anatomy of the *Cattleya* species, emphasizing the translucency of the petals and the faint yellow of the flower centers. By isolating the flowers from any narrative setting, Leutzsch highlights the botanical elegance and the fleeting play of light across the blossoms, a common aim of 19th‑century scientific illustration.

Technique & Style

Executed as a color lithograph, the image relies on multiple stone plates to achieve layered hues of white, pink, green and subtle yellow. Leutzsch’s hand‑signed corner indicates his authorship, while the fine gradations suggest a careful manipulation of the lithographic process to render the petals with a near‑photographic softness.

Context

During the early Victorian period, detailed plant prints were in high demand for both scientific documentation and decorative purposes. Leutzsch’s lithograph reflects this trend, combining accurate botanical representation with the aesthetic sensibilities of the era, and exemplifies the growing popularity of lithography as a reproducible medium for natural history subjects.