Studie af hyben og stedmoderblomst 1750

Curator: Before us we have "Studie af hyben og stedmoderblomst", or "Study of Rose Hips and Pansy", dating from 1750. It’s rendered with watercolor and gouache. My first impression is its rather humble arrangement, quite austere. Editor: Austere, perhaps, but I also see a meticulous attention to detail, especially when considering the societal position of women in the arts at this time. This isn’t just about the rose hips and pansy themselves. It’s about the conditions of artistic production and reception available to women, and possibly used in pharmaceutical purposes at the time. Curator: That’s an interesting point. Looking closer at the application of color, it seems incredibly precise. Almost clinical. It lacks that painterly, romantic flourish that we see with many male botanical artists of the time. The texture of the paper itself is also notable – see how it absorbs the pigment? It speaks to the accessibility, perhaps even the frugality, involved in sourcing the materials. Editor: And this speaks directly to the limited access that female artists, especially those from middle or lower classes, had to the formal structures of the art world at that point. Consider that art production has always been entangled with networks of power and gender relations, that is reinforced when discussing access to education and resources in general. Curator: I wonder if this precision was also a way to counteract assumptions about feminine "frivolity" perhaps demonstrating a commitment to careful scientific observation through material choice? The rose hips especially seem meticulously rendered. I am seeing a certain "pragmatism" with how that specific set of leaves are colored. Editor: Absolutely, reclaiming observation as work, as something more than simply "decoration" was a political act in itself, particularly considering the role plants like these had for medicine or health practices managed often by women in a time period where most education or doctor jobs where assigned to males. It pushes us to reflect about which stories we tell ourselves and question assumptions about aesthetics or gender. Curator: That’s insightful. This seemingly simple drawing, therefore, speaks volumes about not just botanical illustration but also the socioeconomic factors influencing artistic creation in its time. I find it very moving. Editor: Agreed. Looking at it now, it really serves as a testament of the capacity and struggles of those that didn't fit the status quo on the mainstream.