Framed Watercolour, 19th Century Fungi Study, Artist Unknown

Title: Fungi Study Sheet
Artist: Unknown
Date: 19th century
Medium: Watercolour and ink on laid paper
Origin: Likely Central or Northern Europe
Dimensions: 29 cm x 25 cm (framed) 
 
 
This delicately rendered botanical study illustrates four species of fungi, each annotated in Latin with period scientific names: Clavaria coralloides, Lycoperdon laterinum, Agaricus integer, and Lactarius rufus. Executed in watercolour and ink, the work reflects the 19th-century tradition of naturalist documentation, when amateur scientists, illustrators, and academic botanists alike recorded the natural world with precision and aesthetic sensitivity.
The sheet’s subtle discolouration and flowing cursive notations suggest it once formed part of a larger compendium or teaching collection, likely assembled in Central or Northern Europe. Such studies were essential in the pre-photographic era for identifying species, sharing knowledge, and illustrating new scientific discoveries. Here, scientific inquiry meets artistic delicacy, with the fungi rendered in earthy ochres, umbers, and siennas that mirror their natural habitats.