Palms 1855

William Trost Richards made this drawing of palms with graphite on paper. It appears to be a straightforward botanical study, yet the very act of drawing plants like this raises some interesting issues. Richards was working at a time when Europeans and Americans were very interested in the wider world, and in taking possession of it, both literally and figuratively. Botanical illustration played a key role in that dynamic. It could be argued that a drawing like this is not so different from a specimen pinned in a display case. It’s an act of taking something out of its natural context, and putting it under scrutiny. Look closely, and you can see how Richards has used very fine gradations of tone to capture the character of the different species. The labor that has gone into its production is subtle, but significant. With this drawing, the artist asserts not only his close looking, but his dominion over the natural world.