Tradescantia virginiana eller Tradescantia ohiensis (?) (blomsterjøde) 1635 - 1664

Hans Simon Holtzbecker rendered this watercolor on vellum of the Tradescantia virginiana, or Tradescantia ohiensis, sometimes called the Spiderwort, in the 17th century. Holtzbecker was working in a period marked by the intense European exploration and colonization of the Americas. This botanical illustration exists at the nexus of science, art, and empire. The Tradescantia, native to North America, reflects early colonial encounters and the subsequent circulation of natural specimens across the Atlantic. It embodies a moment of both discovery and appropriation. The plant’s common name, “flower-Jew” or “wandering Jew” as it is sometimes called, is a poignant reminder of how language can encode prejudice, reflecting the historical marginalization and stereotyping of Jewish people as rootless wanderers. This image then, despite its delicate beauty, prompts us to consider the complex intersections of botany, colonialism, and the politics of naming.