Artwork
Pomona Britannica: No. 33 - Peaches
Pomona Britannica: No. 33 - Peaches is a print by the Romanticist artist George Brookshaw. It dates from 1805 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Pomona Britannica: No.
- Accession no.
- 2020.166
- Credit line
- Nancy F. and Joseph P. Keithley Collection Gift
About this work
Overview
Pomona Britannica: No. 33 – Peaches is a colour aquatint etching produced in 1812 by the English artist George Brookshaw. It appears as a single plate within his illustrated volume Pomona Britannica, a work intended as a practical guide for the identification and classification of fruit for the educated landowner.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents a solitary peach, rendered at near life‑size, set against a neutral background. The fruit is shown with its characteristic downy skin and delicate blush, accompanied by a detailed rendering of its leaf and stem, emphasizing both aesthetic appeal and botanical accuracy.
Technique & Style
Brookshaw employed aquatint to achieve tonal variation, then added hand‑painted colour highlights to enhance realism. The meticulous rendering of surface texture and shadow reflects the chiaroscuro approach, creating a three‑dimensional illusion within the flat medium.
History & Provenance
The plates for Pomona Britannica were largely based on specimens from the Royal Gardens at Hampton Court and Kensington Gardens. Published in the early nineteenth century, the volume served as a reference for the English gentry interested in pomology, the scientific study of fruit.
Context
During the Regency period, cultivated fruit and horticultural knowledge were markers of refinement among the landed classes. Brookshaw’s work combined scientific illustration with decorative art, fitting into the broader trend of natural history publications that populated cultured libraries of the time.
Artist & collection
Artist
George Brookshaw (c. 1751–1823), also known as G. Brown, was an English painter and illustrator from London. His early career was spent as a London cabinet-maker specializing in painted furniture, often with floral…
