Twee perzikken en een bloem 1792 - 1861

Georgius Jacobus Johannes van Os made this painting of two peaches and a flower with watercolor and gouache on paper. The wispy and translucent application of the paint shows a high level of skill, but let's consider the paper itself. Before the industrial revolution, paper was made by hand, one sheet at a time, by skilled laborers. The quality of the paper and the paints has everything to do with the subtle effect of this work. Note the paper’s slightly uneven surface, its soft tone. This surface wasn't only a ground for the artist's skill, but an active contributor to the image. The very existence of this painting invites us to consider the networks of labor and trade that brought these materials together. It gives special meaning to the flower and ripe fruit depicted. In their own way, these too are products of care and cultivation. All this labor, now distilled into a moment of quiet aesthetic contemplation.