Duizendblad before 1893

Willem Wenckebach made this study of a yarrow plant, or ‘Duizendblad,’ using pen and ink on paper. It was created in the Netherlands, at the turn of the 20th century, a period when artists turned to nature for inspiration, sometimes as a form of escapism from the rapid industrialization of the time. Here, Wenckebach gives the delicate plant the same careful attention that an academic painter might give a portrait commission. Interestingly, Wenckebach would eventually become a professor at the Delft University of Technology, where he taught modeling and drawing. His move from art to technical training says something about the period’s changing attitudes towards the role of the artist in society and the rise of institutions of technical training. Understanding this botanical study involves considering its institutional context. Further archival research into the artist’s teaching role could reveal more about how he brought the principles of fine art to his technical students.