Design of Flower Sprays and Butterflies 1865 - 1875

This delicate design of flower sprays and butterflies was made using watercolor and graphite. Its anonymous status is telling because it reflects the historical exclusion of certain groups from the art world, such as women and people from marginalized communities. The image is evocative of a particular cultural milieu. Floral motifs were hugely popular in decorative arts across Europe and Asia, especially during the 18th and 19th centuries, often symbolizing prosperity, beauty, and the natural world. The round format suggests that it may have been a design for a plate, or a fan. Such designs were very popular with the upper and middle classes, especially as a means of participating in amateur artistic practice. Further research into pattern books and the decorative arts industries of the time could shed more light on the social and economic conditions that shaped this appealing design. Art history reminds us that the appreciation of beauty is always entangled with complex cultural meanings.