Matthiola incana (vinter-levkøj) 1649 - 1659

Hans Simon Holtzbecker made this image of a Matthiola incana, or vinter-levkøj, using watercolour and gouache, some time in the 17th century. Botanical illustration in 17th century Europe was not simply a scientific pursuit, but a social and cultural one, too. The rise of scientific societies and royal patronage created institutions through which the natural world could be catalogued and understood. This image participates in a longer history of botanical drawing, but also reflects the growing status of the artist as a kind of scientist in his own right. Holtzbecker was working in Denmark, a country with its own unique history of royal patronage and scientific exploration. The cultural values of accuracy and detail align with both artistic and scientific ideals of the time. By studying the social, cultural, and institutional histories of images like this one, we can better understand their role as both scientific documents and works of art. Examining period texts, scientific treatises, and patronage records can reveal the complex ways in which these images were produced, circulated, and understood.