Fleurs dessinées d'après nature (...) 3me Cahier 1799 - 1801

This is the title page to "Fleurs dessinées d'après nature," or "Flowers Drawn from Nature," a series of floral studies. Though the artist is anonymous, it states that these prints were made by G. van Spaendonck, professor-administrator at the National Museum of Natural History. The concept of "nature" shifted radically in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. As the Western world industrialized, nature came to be seen as a source of both scientific knowledge and aesthetic inspiration. The study of flowers, in particular, was not just a scientific pursuit, but also one entwined with gender and class. Floral painting and drawing were considered acceptable pastimes for women of the bourgeoisie, and botanical knowledge was a sign of refinement. This print sits at the intersection of scientific accuracy and the feminine ideal. It was intended to be collected by amateurs, young artists, students of central schools, and manufacturers' designers. What narratives might the amateur artist, especially the woman artist, have created with these reference materials? It's interesting to consider the ways in which this print both reinforced and potentially subverted societal expectations.