Single flower on its stem
Draughtsman: Canton workshop
This is a botanical illustration of a single white rose. The flower is rendered with exquisite detail, showing the many overlapping petals characteristic of a fully opened rose bloom, with subtle yellow-green tints and a delicate yellow center. The stem is green with small thorns or prickles visible, and the foliage shows the typical compound leaves of a rose plant, with serrated edges and a natural arrangement along the stem. Each leaf is painted with careful attention to detail, showing the veining and natural variations in the green colouring. The handwritten text at the bottom of the paper reads "Painted from Nature" and beneath that "No 97" followed by what appears to be "Wang en Lue", which could be the name of the artist. In early 19th century, Chinese botanical illustrations were often commissioned by European botanists, naturalists, and wealthy collectors who were eager to document and understand Asian flora. Chinese artists, working primarily in watercolours, adapted their traditional painting techniques to meet European demands for scientific accuracy while maintaining their distinctive artistic style. These illustrations became important resources for European botanical studies, contributing significantly to the documentation and understanding of Asian plant species in the West. These works now serve as valuable records of both botanical history and cross-cultural artistic exchange during a period of increasing global connection. Previously described as "single flower on its stem".
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1973) by Fairhaven, Henry Rogers Broughton
19th Century
Circa
1800
-
Circa
1900
Chinese
Chinese export art
Chinese export watercolours
Support
composed of
paper
Paper
Height 345 mm
Width 249 mm
Watercolour : Bodycolour on paper
Accession number: PD.270-1973
Primary reference Number: 23112
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Paintings, Drawings and Prints
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Single flower on its stem" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/23112 Accessed: 2025-04-20 05:45:43
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/23112
|title=Single flower on its stem
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-04-20 05:45:43|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-23112
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