Artwork
Dahlia
Dahlia is a drawing by the Romanticist artist Mary Altha Nims. It dates from 1804 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1804, the drawing titled "Dahlia" is attributed to American artist Mary Altha Nims. The work is part of the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art and exemplifies the modest, botanical subjects that occupied much of Nims’s output during the early nineteenth century.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a single purple dahlia placed in a plain white vase, set against a deep, unadorned background. The flower’s robust, angular petals and the subtle illumination of a few leaves convey a quiet celebration of natural form, reflecting contemporary tastes for restrained, decorative beauty.
Technique & Style
Executed in drawing, the piece relies on careful line work and shading to render the flower’s thick, sharply defined petals. Contrasting the dark backdrop, the artist uses highlights to suggest a gentle light source, giving the leaves a fleeting sheen while maintaining overall compositional simplicity.
History & Provenance
Mary Altha Nims, an American practitioner active in the early 1800s, produced numerous botanical studies similar to this piece. "Dahlia" entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings through acquisition, joining a broader representation of period American drawing in the museum’s decorative arts collection.
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