Twee vlinders bij een lelie 1747 - 1802

This delicate watercolor of two butterflies and a lily was painted by Paulus Knogh in the late 18th century. Knogh expertly used watercolor to capture the intricacies of the butterflies’ wings, and the lily's petals. But why choose this subject? During the 1700s, there was a huge demand for natural history illustrations to document new discoveries in science. Artists like Knogh would have been employed to create accurate depictions of plants and animals for scientific publications and personal collections. Consider the painstaking labor involved in creating such detailed work. Knogh had to mix his paints, prepare his paper, and carefully apply each layer of color to achieve the desired effect. The time and skill required reflect a pre-industrial era, where artistic production was closely tied to manual labor and craft traditions. By appreciating the making of this work, we can move beyond simply admiring its aesthetic beauty. We can understand its value as both a work of art and a historical document, blurring the lines between art, science, and craft.