Allium sphaerocephalon (middelhavs-prydløg); Allium nigrum (sort løg)
1654
unspecified
From the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst
You see two onion-like bulbs on a plain background: one round and purple, the other tall and white with green stems. These are wild Mediterranean onions, not kitchen vegetables. The artist painted them life-size, so the paper feels like a field guide. No one knows when or why they were made—maybe for a botanist, maybe just for beauty. Look up the technique of glazing to see how watercolor can build deep, see-through layers.
