Salvia Splendens

Johann Knapp

1850

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Early 19th Century Floral

About this work

This painting shows a single plant with bright orange flowers and long green leaves. The flowers grow in clusters along a thin stem, while the leaves spread out below. The background is plain white, keeping all focus on the plant’s details. The artist used soft watercolors to capture the plant’s texture—notice how the leaves have subtle shading. This style was common for scientific or decorative botanical art in the early 1800s. Check out the Victoria and Albert Museum to see more works like this.