Verbascum blattaria (klase-kongelys); Verbascum phoeniceum (purpur-kongelys) 1635 - 1664

Hans Simon Holtzbecker created this botanical study, "Verbascum blattaria; Verbascum phoeniceum," using watercolor and gouache. Three flowering stalks command our attention with their verticality, each a chromatic scale of whites, yellows and purples. The composition is structured by these three stems, which rise uniformly from bottom to top. Holtzbecker employs subtle variations in the rendering of leaves and petals, animating each stem with a unique character. The symmetry is exact. Consider the semiotic interplay between scientific precision and aesthetic expression. Holtzbecker transforms botany into art through his meticulous brushwork. The artwork invites us to reflect on the boundaries between objective representation and subjective interpretation, recognizing that art continually oscillates between intention and perception.