Plantstudie 1928

This is Karl Blossfeldt’s photograph "Plant Study" taken sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. The image, rendered in stark monochrome, captures a sprig of lingonberry. Blossfeldt, attuned to the structural properties of plants, zooms in to present botanical specimens with scientific precision. Look closely at how the clustered, bell-shaped flowers contrast with the sharp, angular leaves. The composition, tightly cropped, emphasizes the plant's architectural form. The play of light and shadow across the delicate surfaces accentuates texture and depth and draws attention to the geometry inherent in natural forms. Blossfeldt’s vision finds parallels between the plant and constructed forms, which aligns to the Bauhaus thinking. This photograph functions as more than a mere visual document. The close-up perspective and high contrast, transform the plant into an almost abstract, monumental structure. Here the artist challenges our perceptions of scale, blurring the boundaries between the natural and the artificial.