Helleborus niger (almindelig julerose) 1649 - 1659

Hans Simon Holtzbecker created this image of a Christmas rose, or Helleborus niger, with watercolour on paper. Produced in seventeenth-century Denmark, the image is a botanical study which would have served a number of important social functions. It might have been used in the circle of the court to celebrate the power of nature or the knowledge of its patterns. It could also have been part of an archive of medical knowledge, as it was believed at the time that plants held the secret to curing diseases. The botanical style of painting was patronized by the royal court. The King's garden was an important center for the study of nature and science. The image makes meaning through its attention to visual detail, attempting to depict the whole plant, from its roots to its flowers. As art historians, we consider who was commissioning this art and what their purpose was. Accessing archival material from the court and the history of medicine help us to understand its function in society.