Lilium pyrenaicum (pyrenæisk lilje); Lilium martagon (krans-lilje) 1649 - 1659

Hans Simon Holtzbecker made this botanical study of two lilies with watercolour and gouache on vellum in seventeenth-century Denmark. As a painter employed at the court of King Christian IV, Holtzbecker was commissioned to record the plants in the royal gardens. The image is not just a straightforward record of nature, it reflects the cultural values of the time. The meticulous detail emphasizes the importance of observation in the developing scientific culture. The lilies themselves, while native to other regions, would have represented the wealth and power of the Danish court, able to cultivate rare specimens. Botanical illustration was a discipline in which artistic skill served a practical, scientific purpose and was patronized by institutions of power. Understanding this work involves looking into the history of botany, the patronage systems of the Danish court, and the cultural meanings associated with specific plants. Artworks such as this allow us to understand how social values shape both artistic production and the natural world.