A Columbine or Granny's Bonnet (Aquilegia), with Additional Studies of Flowers

This representation of a pink columbine (genus acquilegia), with individual blooms of different colors in the lower part of the sheet, probably once belonged to an album commissioned by either a merchant or collector of flowers. The production of such albums formed a significant part of Holsteyn’s output. An intact example of 122 sheets bearing the artist’s monogram is in the Lindley Library of the Royal Horticultural Society. Another, comprising 42 images by Holsteyn of different cultivars of tulips, was sold in 2002 (Christie’s London April 11, 2002, lot 697). Various loose sheets are known; some of these could well have belonged to the same group as the present work (see, for example, the Greek Valerian sold at Christie’s London, December 6, 2012, lot 118, and two drawings—one representing three violets, the other a viola—sold at Sotheby’s New York, February 1, 2013, lot 614). All of these works exhibit Holsteyn’s fine brushwork, here especially evident in the subtle striations of the petals.

(JSS, 8/24/2018)