Poison Sumach from the Plants series 1862 - 1869

This image of Poison Sumach is from the Plants series by Louis Prang & Co. Notice how the composition is divided, with a balance between the dense, textured clusters of berries on the left and the smoother, more open arrangement of leaves on the right. The artist uses a limited color palette, predominantly greens and reds, to create a visual tension. The texture is finely detailed, especially in the rendering of the leaves, where subtle gradations of color suggest depth and volume. The plant is presented in a way that challenges our understanding of nature. It's both beautiful and dangerous, inviting a moment of reflection. The artwork uses botanical illustration to convey the plant’s physical structure, while it subverts expectations by highlighting a specimen that is both visually appealing and hazardous. Consider how this juxtaposition of beauty and danger destabilizes fixed meanings. It invites us to reconsider our relationship with the natural world as a space of aesthetic appreciation, scientific inquiry, and potential threat.