Botanical Archives - Page 6 of 8

The Broom Cactus (1815-1819)

Sydenham Edwards (English, 1768–1819)

Spiky arms stretch upward, each rib lined with sharp yellow spines. Delicate pink flowers bloom unexpectedly from the harsh, angular form—a desert survivor dressed in unlikely finery. The watercolor’s precise strokes trace every thorn and petal, revealing beauty in the bristling.
Rubus (1910)

Amanda Almira Newton (American, 1860–1943)

Delicate watercolor strokes bring the Rubus to life—each thorn, leaf, and berry rendered with precision. The plant’s wild energy contrasts with the careful study, as if caught mid-growth on the page.
Abbildungen zu Oken’s Allgemeiner Naturgeschichte für alle Stände Pl.005 (1841)

Lorenz Oken (German, unknown)

Delicate veins trace across broad leaves, their edges curling like parchment. Stems twist upward, bearing clusters of tiny blossoms—each petal rendered with precise, inked lines. A hidden world of texture and form emerges from the page, inviting closer study of nature’s intricate designs.
Armillaria aurantia Schäff. Quél. (1915-1945)

Hans Walty (Swiss, 1868-1948)

Golden-orange fungi cluster on the page, their gilled caps delicate yet bold against the stark white background. Each stem twists with lifelike precision, as if freshly plucked from damp forest soil. The engraving’s fine lines reveal every rib and curve, turning decay into something strangely elegant.
Morchella elata (1915-1945)

Hans Walty (Swiss, 1868-1948)

Delicate ridges spiral upward, forming a honeycombed cap. The Morchella elata stands poised, its hollow stem anchoring it to unseen earth. Shadows pool in the fungus’s crevices, hinting at damp forest floors where such specimens emerge unseen. A study in texture, each groove precise yet organic.
Morchella esculenta L. (Pers.) (1915-1945)

Hans Walty (Swiss, 1868-1948)

Delicate folds of the Morchella esculenta rise from the page, their honeycombed caps catching an unseen light. Each hollow and ridge is rendered with such precision you might mistake the paper for damp forest soil. A single spore seems poised to drift from the gnarled stem.
Abbildungen zu Oken’s Allgemeiner Naturgeschichte für alle Stände Pl.021 (1841)

Lorenz Oken (German, unknown)

Delicate veins branch across translucent leaves, each line precise as a surgeon’s sketch. Ferns unfurl beside spiked seed pods, their forms balanced between scientific clarity and quiet elegance. The page hums with hidden order—a silent taxonomy of stems and petals laid bare.
Boletus felleus Bull., Thylopilus felleus Fr. (1915-1945)

Hans Walty (Swiss, 1868-1948)

The bitter bolete rises from damp earth, its spongy underside and smooth cap rendered with clinical precision. Each line traces the fungus’s deceptive beauty—edible in appearance, yet unpalatably acrid to taste. A study in contrasts, where scientific accuracy meets nature’s quiet trickery.
Abbildungen zu Oken’s Allgemeiner Naturgeschichte für alle Stände Pl.007 (1841)

Lorenz Oken (German, unknown)

Delicate veins branch across translucent leaves, each curve etched with precision. The engraving reveals nature’s hidden architecture—a silent study of symmetry and growth, where every line serves both science and art.