Lelies en roos 1820 - 1833

Anton Weiss rendered this delicate drawing, "Lilies and Rose," in the nineteenth century, a period deeply intertwined with the burgeoning field of botany. The artist’s exploration of botanical drawing is informed by shifts in scientific study and by the social mores of the time. Arrangements of roses and lilies were often imbued with symbolic weight. The lily, associated with purity and the Virgin Mary, contrasts here with the sensual rose, symbolising love and passion. The combination speaks to a societal tension: the idealised purity of women versus the acknowledgement of female desire, reflecting the period's complex relationship to gender and sexuality. Weiss invites us to see the natural world through a lens shaped by societal expectations. His artistic contribution lies in capturing the emotional landscape of his era, where even a seemingly simple bouquet carries the weight of cultural expectation.