Scolopendrium Vulgare
1853
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1853
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Scolopendrium Vulgare is a 1853 by Anna Atkins, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This is a ghostly green plant pressed onto light-sensitive paper. Its feathery fronds stand out in silver against a dark background. You can see every vein and curve. Anna Atkins did this with sunlight instead of a camera. She placed the fern on treated paper, let light do the work. No paint or brush needed—just chemistry and patience. This shows how photography started as science, not art. If you like this, look up Anna Atkins (British, 1799–1871).
In 1843, Anna Atkins produced the first book illustrated with photographs. The book was the earliest use of photography in a scientific publication. An amateur botanist, Atkins overcame the difficulties of making accurate drawings by placing plants directly on light-sensitive paper and exposing them to light. With these cameraless photographs, later called photograms, she was able to carefully record the basic elements of a plant's line, shape, and texture. This example illustrates a specimen of Scolopendrium Vulgare , also known as Hart's-Tongue fern.
Read the full account in the museum source.
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