Wetland Plants
1829
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1829
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Wetland Plants is a 1829 ink by Carl August Lebschée, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This drawing shows a close-up of plants growing by a shallow, rocky stream. The leaves are large and detailed, with some tall grasses and a few small flowers. In the background, there’s a faint outline of trees and a distant field, plus a tiny butterfly near the top. The artist focused on nature’s small, precise parts—like the texture of the leaves and the way water ripples. This was made using a printing method that lets you create many copies from one stone. Next, look up lithography to see how this process works.
