Common Thistle (Chardon Commun)
George Sand French
Although Sand’s work as an amateur watercolorist is increasingly appreciated, less is known about her practice of cutting paper to depict plant life. This example achieves a particularly naturalistic effect with the application of watercolor. Demonstrating extraordinary dexterity, Sand cut a sheet of paper painted with a subtle gradation of green into the delicate, spiky forms of a thistle crowned with small purple flowers.
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