Artwork
Cock-Head Waterlily
Cock-Head Waterlily is a paint painting by the Rococo painting artist Unknown. It dates from 1780 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The work is a painted depiction of a waterlily known locally in Guangdong as the “cock‑head waterlily.
About this work
Overview
The work is a painted depiction of a waterlily known locally in Guangdong as the “cock‑head waterlily.” It forms one panel of a series of twenty‑four images, each bearing the Chinese name of the plant it illustrates.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is a single aquatic flower whose vernacular name reflects regional usage rather than a formally recognized botanical classification. The inscription provides a linguistic link to its place of origin, emphasizing the plant’s cultural as well as visual identity.
Technique & Style
Executed in a realistic yet decorative manner, the painting employs fine brushwork to render the delicate petals and reflective water surface. The composition balances naturalistic detail with a stylized presentation typical of Chinese botanical illustration adapted for a Western audience.
Context
During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries British naturalists and the wider public showed a growing fascination with exotic flora. Travelers returning from Asia frequently supplied both live specimens and visual records, fueling a market for such illustrative series.
History & Provenance
The series was likely created for export to Britain, where interest in tropical plants was high. Though the exact collector is unknown, the set reflects the broader exchange of scientific and artistic knowledge between China and Europe in the colonial era.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
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Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
