Artwork Page for A Selection of Hexandrian Plants, belonging to the natural order of Amaryllidae and Liliacae: Tiger Lily

Details / Information for A Selection of Hexandrian Plants, belonging to the natural order of Amaryllidae and Liliacae: Tiger Lily

A Selection of Hexandrian Plants, belonging to the natural order of Amaryllidae and Liliacae: Tiger Lily

1831–32

Robert Havell

(British, 1769–1832)
Culture
England, 19th century
Medium
aquatint
Credit Line
In memory of Mrs. Hermon A. Kelley 1946.252
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

The late 18th century saw the development of color printing, a laborious process in which the image is built up from separate plates for each color. Applying Newton’s theory of color, a plate was prepared for each of the three primary colors (blue, yellow, and red) as well as for a darker color (usually black, to provide a unifying background tone). These plates, too, were often embellished with hand work in watercolor
A vertically oriented print depicts vibrant orange tiger lilies arching from a dark, ornate footed vase against a cream background. Petals reach outward, speckled with dark spots and surrounded by slender yellow buds and green leaves. Six butterflies with wings of blue and brown flutter around the central arrangement. Centered on the vase, an oval plaque contains a printed poem, while the text LILIUM TIGRINUM at the base anchors the composition with formal elegance.

A Selection of Hexandrian Plants, belonging to the natural order of Amaryllidae and Liliacae: Tiger Lily

1831–32

Robert Havell

(British, 1769–1832)
England, 19th century

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