Rosier Aurore Poniatowska 1817 - 1824

This is an illustration of a pink rose titled "Rosier Aurore Poniatowska," created by an anonymous artist. Consider the context in which botanical art like this often flourished: a time of exploration, empire, and scientific classification. This work is more than just a pretty flower; it's a document, a specimen, an attempt to capture and categorize the natural world. Yet, we must ask, who was doing the capturing? Whose vision of nature was being immortalized? This rose, named for someone of note, speaks to the power dynamics inherent in naming and claiming. The act of depicting and naming plants from other lands often coincided with colonial expansion. What stories are silenced when we focus solely on the aesthetic beauty, and can we see how art and science were, and continue to be, intertwined with issues of power, identity, and control? The delicate beauty invites us to contemplate the complex relationship between humans and the natural world.