Aquilegia vulgaris (almindelig akeleje) 1649 - 1659

Hans Simon Holtzbecker rendered this watercolor and gouache of Aquilegia vulgaris, or common columbine, a flower found throughout Europe and North America. Holtzbecker painted at a time when the botanical arts were deeply intertwined with expanding European empires. Botanical drawings were commissioned to document the natural resources of newly ‘discovered’ lands, often eliding the knowledge and stewardship of indigenous peoples. Here, Holtzbecker's detailed rendering captures the plant's delicate beauty, while subtly nodding to the complex social context in which such images were produced. Note the contrast between the vibrant colors of the flower and the muted tones of the roots, perhaps alluding to the tension between surface beauty and hidden exploitation. The act of botanical illustration, therefore, becomes more than just documentation, reflecting our evolving understanding of the natural world and our place within it.