Artwork
Abutilon
Abutilon is a print by Karl Blossfeldt. It dates from 1928 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1928, Abutilon is a black‑and‑white photogravure that presents a single flower in close detail. The image isolates the blossom against a muted gray field, allowing the intricate arrangement of its pointed petals to dominate the composition. The work exemplifies the photographer’s focus on the formal qualities of plant structures, rendered with a restrained, almost clinical clarity.
Subject & Meaning
The photograph captures an Abutilon flower, its numerous, sharply tipped petals overlapping to suggest depth and volume. By concentrating on the botanical form, the image invites contemplation of natural geometry and the hidden order within living material, reflecting the artist’s long‑standing fascination with the patterns of growth.
Technique & Style
Blossfeldt employed the photogravure process, a method that transfers a photographic image onto a copper plate for printing, yielding fine tonal gradations and sharp detail. His approach combines scientific observation with artistic composition, using high‑contrast lighting to emphasize texture and line, characteristic of his broader series of plant studies.
History & Provenance
German photographer and sculptor Karl Blossfeldt produced Abutilon shortly before releasing his seminal volume Urformen der Kunst in 1929, which gathered similar close‑up plant images. The work reflects both his personal engagement with botanical forms and the influence of his father’s interest in plant growth, situating the print within the early modernist dialogue between nature and design.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Karl Blossfeldt (13 June 1865 – 9 December 1932) was a German photographer and sculptor.
