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Columbine; Gilliflower

Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues

1568

watercolor

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

Byzantine icon painting Renaissance Renaissance Floral

Dominant colour

Columbine; Gilliflower is a 1568 watercolor by Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues, a Byzantine icon painting work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues
When & what style?: 1568 · Byzantine icon painting
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This drawing shows two plants with flowers. One has purple blossoms and small leaves. The other has white buds and long stems. The paper looks old and yellowed. The artist focused on the flowers’ details, like the tiny hairs on the buds. This kind of careful drawing was common in the 1500s. Look up Renaissance next to see how artists studied nature this way.

The story of this work

Overview

This drawing by Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues features a columbine on one side and three gillyflower stalks—white, red, and pink—on the reverse. Part of a 59-watercolor album acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1856 due to its fine binding, the work is attributed to the artist’s time in France around 1575 before his move to London before 1580. The album reflects a growing 16th-century interest in plants for both scientific study and artistic appreciation, with detailed, realistic depictions that distinguish Le Moyne de Morgues as an early botanical illustrator. Comparable works,…

Read the full account in the museum source.

About the artist

Artist

Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues

Jacques Le Moyne de Morgues (French pronunciation: ; c. 1533–1588) was a French artist and member of Jean Ribault's expedition to the New World. His depictions of Native American life and culture, colonial life, and…

See the richer artist page