Artwork

The Botanical Magazine or Flower Garden Displayed: Umbel-Flowering Bulb-Bearing Orange-Lily

The Botanical Magazine or Flower Garden Displayed: Umbel-Flowering Bulb-Bearing Orange-Lily is a print by the Romanticist artist Thomas Curtis. It dates from 1807 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

This print is an illustration from The Botanical Magazine or Flower Garden Displayed, a periodical founded by William Curtis in 1787 to document and disseminate knowledge about ornamental flowering plants.

Subject & Meaning

The image depicts an orange lily with green leaves, rendered in detail to facilitate identification and cultivation. The level of detail was intended to aid gardeners in growing the plant.

Technique & Style

Soft watercolor washes and fine brushstrokes were used to capture the flower's shape, texture, and delicate petals, creating a realistic representation.

History & Provenance

The print was part of a series produced for The Botanical Magazine in the early 19th century, a time when botanical illustration was a key means of sharing knowledge about newly discovered plant species.

Context

The publication was part of a broader 18th-century English interest in botany, exemplified by institutions like Kew Gardens, established in 1721.