Pink Rose and Yellow Butterfly

c. 1840

Watercolor with graphite underdrawing on prepared wove paper

28.9 × 24.1 cm (11.4 × 9.5 in)

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In the collection of Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia — check current display status with the museum.

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FROM THE BARNES FOUNDATION’S CATALOG

On a single branch, a series of pink roses unfolds from tight buds into a full flower. The composition resembles the botanical illustration Rosa centifolia ( Hundred-Petaled Rose ) by the renowned Pierre-Joseph Redouté. Here, the artist amplified the plant's realism with a drop of water on the open rose and a yellow butterfly resting on a leaf.

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