Blomsterstudier 1898

Joakim Skovgaard made this botanical study using graphite on paper. These sketches of tulips, irises and peonies have a scientific dimension. We know that the artist was interested in botany and zoology. But these studies may also have served as a form of visual note-taking for his larger paintings, tapestries and frescos. Skovgaard was from Denmark, and he worked during a period when there was an increasing professionalization of the arts, as marked by the establishment of museums and art academies. Such institutions set standards for taste, skill, and subject matter. But these sketches are informal, and seem to have been made outside the bounds of such institutions. To further explore the place of Skovgaard’s work in Danish visual culture, one might want to consult periodicals from the period. These can tell us more about the intersection of art, science, and commerce in 19th century Denmark.