Studieblad met een roos 1683 - 1733

Bernard Picart made this drawing of a rose in the first half of the 18th century. We see two different views of the flower, one in full bloom and the other, perhaps, slightly past its prime. Flowers like this were more than just pretty things in 18th-century Europe. The Dutch Republic, where Picart worked, was a major center for botany and horticulture. Gardens, both private and public, were sites for the cultivation of new species brought from all over the world by the ships of the Dutch East India Company. Botanical illustration, like this drawing, played a crucial role in scientific study, as well as in the circulation of luxury goods like rare bulbs and seeds. To understand Picart’s drawing fully, we might turn to the scientific literature of his day, or to the records of the botanical gardens in Amsterdam and Leiden. What we learn there will, in turn, deepen our appreciation of this delicate drawing. We start to see botanical drawing as deeply entangled with commerce and scientific ambition.