Artwork
Chinese St Johns Wort
Chinese St Johns Wort is a paint painting by the Patna School of Painting artist Unknown. It dates from 1780 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Chinese St Johns Wort is a painting from a set of 24 botanical artworks, each featuring a different plant species.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Chinese St John's Wort in detail, reflecting the 18th- and 19th-century British fascination with exotic flora. Botanists and travellers brought back foreign plants and their images, sparking public interest.
Technique & Style
The work is characterized by its precise rendering of the plant, indicative of a style used to document and study botanical specimens.
Context
The set to which this painting belongs was likely created to cater to the demand for knowledge about non-native plant species among British botanists and the broader public.
Artist & collection
