untitled (view of the form of the flower mentioned on the thirteenth page)

William Sharp, artist

1803–1875

John Fisk Allen, author

1785–1865

untitled (view of the form of the flower mentioned on the thirteenth page), 1854

Where object was made: United States

Material/technique: chromolithograph

Dimensions:
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 394 x 546 mm
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 15 1/2 x 21 1/2 in
Mat Dimensions (Height x Width): 24 x 32 in

Credit line: Museum purchase

Accession number: 1978.0078.01

Not on display

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Big Botany: Conversations with the Plant World

The Amazonian water lily (Victoria amazonica) is famed for its huge leaves that approach 10 feet in diameter, and its flowers that can be up to a foot in diameter. Four of these prints document the first successful cultivation of the species, then known as Victoria regia in the United States. The text by amateur botanist John Fisk Allen (1807–1876) discusses the “discovery” and early encounters with the plant by Europeans traveling in South America. Allen cites the account of French botanist Aimé Bonpland, who accompanied German geographer, naturalist, and explorer Alexander von Humboldt on his travels. Bonpland discusses the Amazonian water lily and the flour derived from its seeds by the indigenous peoples of Argentina. In England, Victoria amazonica was first successfully propagated and coaxed to bloom in 1849. Gardener and architect Joseph Paxton was impressed by the structure of the great lily’s leaves, which reportedly was his inspiration for the design of the lace-like cast iron structure of the Crystal Palace at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London.

Big Botany: Conversations with the Plant World