Plant Fantasy c. 18th century

Editor: This is Jeanne Deny's "Plant Fantasy" from around the late 18th century, housed in the Harvard Art Museums. It's delicate, a dance between floral design and what seem to be stylized feathers. How do you see this piece fitting into the artistic landscape of its time? Curator: These kinds of botanical studies were often connected to scientific illustration, which in turn held a place in Enlightenment ideals of classification and knowledge. But Deny goes further, introducing a level of artifice. Do you think that tension between nature and artifice speaks to a specific audience or purpose? Editor: Perhaps it reflects the Rococo period's love for ornamentation and the artificial? I'm starting to see a commentary on our relationship with the natural world. Curator: Precisely. Botanical art served a political function in displaying wealth through depictions of exotic plants. Seeing those peacock feathers with eyes, what does it suggest about the viewers who might consume it? Editor: I hadn't thought of the political implications. It makes me rethink the piece entirely! Curator: Me too. It's always rewarding to consider how art participates in these networks of power.