Ipomoea purpurea (purpur-pragtsnerle) 1649 - 1659

Curator: Here we have "Ipomoea purpurea," or purpur-pragtsnerle as it's known in Danish, a botanical study executed between 1649 and 1659 by Hans Simon Holtzbecker. It’s rendered meticulously in watercolor and gouache on paper. Editor: What strikes me immediately is its incredible delicacy. The varying colors of the morning glories—pinks, purples, whites—seem to whisper of fleeting beauty and perhaps the transience of life itself. Curator: Holtzbecker's work is significant, I think, for documenting nature through plein-air drawing and painting at a time when scientific observation was rapidly evolving. It was likely part of a larger compendium intended for scientific study, or possibly even decorative arts. We should take a closer look at the drawing techniques employed. Editor: The flowers do represent a poignant symbol. Morning glories, with their habit of opening at dawn and closing by midday, often symbolize unrequited love or vanished pleasure, don’t they? The individual colors would only strengthen any possible symbol, like blue symbolizing longing and red for a stronger kind of love. Curator: Yes, there’s certainly potential for that symbolic reading, especially in the context of Holtzbecker’s location in the royal court in Denmark, where displays of wealth and power via material objects - including gardens or these very images - were essential. What kind of paints, and what level of artistic production went into an image of this type can easily signify a patron’s resources and aesthetic taste. Editor: That makes a great point about both material context as well as its symbolism being closely linked. Even the tendrils of the plant climbing seemingly upwards suggest aspiration or reaching for something just out of grasp. Curator: Looking at the texture of the paper, you can really sense the intentionality behind each and every brushstroke. Editor: I see what you mean about the materiality and the potential wealth in artistic expression that this image suggests, and combined with the flower itself it can only give one the urge to see through layers of significance and contemplate themes of time, beauty, and remembrance. Curator: It’s fascinating to consider how this image straddles the line between scientific document and artistic expression; both of our vantage points complement it well. Editor: Indeed, whether you're drawn to its symbolic depth or its material origins, Holtzbecker's morning glory presents a compelling case for the value in looking closely.