Blue butterfly, Gossamer-winged Butterfly (Lycaenidae), Amaranthus tricolor, and Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)
A watercolour drawing from the album 4205. This botanical illustration features Amaranthus tricolor at its center, displaying vibrant yellow, red, and green foliage characteristic of this native Chinese species. The Amaranthus stems are artfully arranged and show the plant's distinctive star-shaped leaf patterns. Purple bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) flowers and buds are scattered throughout the composition, adding contrasting colour and form. Two butterflies animate the scene: one specimen with distinctive blue, white, black, and yellow stripes is perched on a bittersweet nightshade stem, while what appears to be a Gossamer-winged butterfly (Lycaenidae) with delicate white wings marked by black dots and stripes rests in the lower left corner. The artwork shows meticulous attention to botanical and entomological details, particularly in the rendering of the Amaranthus's complex coloration and the intricate patterns on the butterflies' wings. The natural features of each species are carefully documented, from the veination of leaves to the precise markings of the insects. The illustration combines scientific accuracy with artistic composition, characteristic of Chinese natural history paintings of this period.
Height: 285 mm
Width: 290 mm
Method of acquisition: Given (1942) by De Vitré, John Durham Denis de
19th Century
Circa
1800
-
Circa
1880
Chinese
Chinese export art
Chinese export watercolour
Support composed of pith paper
Watercolour : Watercolour and body colour on pith paper
Accession number: 4205.4
Primary reference Number: 317602
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) "Blue butterfly, Gossamer-winged Butterfly (Lycaenidae), Amaranthus tricolor, and Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/317602 Accessed: 2025-12-06 00:05:17
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/317602
|title=Blue butterfly, Gossamer-winged Butterfly (Lycaenidae), Amaranthus tricolor, and Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-06 00:05:17|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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