Studies of the trunk, blossoms and fruit of a wild apple tree (Malus sylvestris) 1788

Ludwig Pfleger made this botanical study of a wild apple tree on paper, sometime in the 18th century. The artist has paid careful attention to the tree’s various components, from blossom to fruit, and even cross-sections of the trunk. The study highlights the rich textures found in nature. Pfleger has rendered the rough bark of the tree with almost geological detail, contrasting it with the smooth, pale wood inside. Note the exquisite gradations of color in the fruit, achieved through careful layering of watercolor. Pfleger’s technique is traditional, but the subject matter is deeply connected to larger economic systems of the time. Botanical illustration was crucial to agriculture, helping to identify and classify plants for cultivation and trade. The apple, in particular, was becoming an increasingly important commodity, and so this artwork participates in the early modern commodification of nature.