Rosa Rose (Rosa) mit sich einspinnender Raupe und Bläuling 

Elisabeth Christina Matthes made this nature study of a rose, caterpillar, and butterfly with watercolor and gouache, but we don't know exactly when. The appeal of such images lies partly in their claim to scientific accuracy. The enlightenment was a time in which a new premium was placed on observation, description, and classification in natural history. Note the exacting depiction of the leaves, the thorns on the stem, and the way the caterpillar has begun to envelop itself in a silken web. But we shouldn't see these images as purely objective records. Consider the way the plants and insects are arranged. Note how their forms complement each other, and how the rose itself is presented as a kind of ideal specimen. These choices reflect the artist’s personal aesthetic, as well as the artistic conventions of the time. To understand the image more fully, we might look into the circulation of illustrated books and scientific treatises in the eighteenth century. We could also explore the patronage networks and artistic training that enabled women like Matthes to make their mark in the art world.