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study of a carnation plant

Unknown

1750

paint

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

18th Century Floral Floral Pattern

Dominant colour

study of a carnation plant is a 1750 paint by Unknown, depicting Floral Pattern, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.

Who painted this?: Unknown
When & what style?: 1750
Where can I see it?: Victoria and Albert Museum

About this work

This painting shows three bright orange carnations with green stems and leaves. The flowers stand out against a plain light background inside a simple border. The colors are flat, with no shading to make parts look darker or lighter. The painting looks like it was made to study how the plant looks up close. The flowers are the only thing shown—no leaves on the ground or other plants around them. If you like this kind of close-up plant drawing, check out the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The story of this work

Overview

The study depicts a carnation plant rendered in opaque watercolour on paper, featuring three flowers and three buds in orange tones outlined with red hatching, along with five twisting pinnate leaves in varying shades of pale green. The composition is set against a plain off-white paper ground, framed by buff-coloured borders with black ruled outlines, ivory white margins, and grey-blue strips along the edges, while the left side includes a beige woven textile gutter. The page edges are gilded, and the work is part of the Small Clive Album, a collection of 56 leaves containing Mughal…

Read the full account in the museum source.