Madagascar periwinkle (catharanthus roseus) and butterflies
1800
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1800
paint
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Madagascar periwinkle (catharanthus roseus) and butterflies is a 1800 paint by Unknown, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows a delicate pink flower with small white centers growing on a thin stem. Three butterflies hover nearby—one dark with blue spots, one light with yellow and orange wings, and a tiny brown one. The leaves are green with smooth edges, and the whole scene sits against a plain light background. The artist paid close attention to tiny details, like the tiny hairs on the leaves and the way the butterflies’ wings fold. This kind of careful nature study was common in the 1800s. If you like this, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum for more scientific art like this.
A rectangular watercolor depicts a Madagascar periwinkle branch, a shrub measuring 0.3 to 0.6 meters in height, with short-stalked, paired, oblong leaves up to 7.6 centimeters long, often ending in a small point. The plant bears showy, rose-purple flowers with five spreading lobes and a narrow, 2.5-centimeter tube, blooming nearly year-round. Three butterflies are shown visiting the flowers, while the fruits consist of two upright, pod-like cylinders containing several cylindrical seeds. The species also occurs in pure white or white with a reddish center.
Read the full account in the museum source.
