1850
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Amandier d'Italie is a 1850 ink by French 19th Century, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a detailed drawing of an almond tree branch. The leaves are long and slightly wavy, with a mix of green and yellow shades. There are two round, fuzzy almond fruits hanging from the branch, and a small white flower is drawn separately in the corner. Another corner shows a single almond nut with its shell cracked open. The name at the bottom, *Amandier d'Italie*, means "Italian almond tree" in French. This kind of careful plant drawing was often used in science books to study nature. Look up etching to see how artists like this made precise prints.
This sculptor liked to keep sharp tools in the studio and blunt ones in his pocket—his niece recalled finding him absentmindedly whittling a stick while talking philosophy.
See the richer artist page
