작품 상세

Myrtus balsamica Folus Mali Granatae H.L.. Georg Dionysius Ehret (1708-1770). Watercolor on paper. Inscribed lower right: GD Ehret. 13 1/2 x 21 inches sheet, 31 1/4 x 24 inches framed. Arguably the finest flower painter of the 18th-century Europe, Ehret’s work stands as a preeminent accomplishment of European botanical art, and the reasons for this acclaim are immediately evident in the virtuoso draftsmanship and fine, nuanced coloring of these works. Only in his remarkably sensuous and accurate watercolors is the full extent of his mastery and sensitivity clear. Ehret’s delicate modulations of tone and shadow bring a vitality to these exquisite original watercolors, belying their ostensibly documentary purpose. His distinctive style transcends scientific illustration, achieving a level of beauty that has rarely been equaled in the history of botanical art.