Fritillaria 1915

Charles Rennie Mackintosh made this watercolor of fritillaries – those almost embarrassingly beautiful bell-shaped flowers – at some point in his career. I’m imagining Mackintosh hunched over this sheet of paper, carefully mixing his watercolors, trying to capture the flower’s delicate beauty. It's a difficult flower to paint. Each petal, a field of tiny purple and white checks. Did he begin with the outline, or dive right into the pattern? I can see him making each mark with intention, building up layers of color to create depth and texture. The leaves so green you can almost feel their coolness. I get the sense of Mackintosh being in dialogue with other artists through time, from botanical illustrators to Art Nouveau painters. He shares their interest in organic forms, but he's also pushing against them, finding his own way to see and represent the natural world. This painting is like a quiet conversation, a humble acknowledgement of the beauty that exists all around us.