Bolpapaver 1799 - 1801

Pierre François Legrand made this drawing of a poppy with graphite. Poppies, especially the opium poppy, have a long and complicated relationship with humans. They are simultaneously a source of beauty, medicine, and also a dangerous drug. Botanical drawings like this one are often associated with scientific research. We can see here the plant is labelled in Latin, with the words "Papaver somniferum." In early modern Europe, there was a flourishing trade in plants and seeds, across empires. Institutions like botanical gardens were established in many cities. They were centers of experimentation and were often linked to universities and medical schools. Legrand was born in France, and botanical drawings became particularly popular there. To understand the culture of botanical art in the early modern period, scholars study not just art history, but also the history of science, medicine, and global trade.