A page of watercolours of seven spring plants including: two hyacinthus orientalis (l. ), iris persica (l. ), narcissus hispanicus (gouan), narcissus pseudonarcissus (l. ) and crocus vernus (hill). Hyacinths were introduced to england from the eastern mediterranean in the late sixteenth century. These plants had fewer flowers than the varieties cultivated today. By 1600 daffodils were already popular garden flowers, said by john gerard, author of the famous herball (1597), to ‘decke up our london gardens’. The species illustrated here is the origin of the yellow trumpet varieties which are now naturalised in some areas of britain. Provenance: presented to george iv. Date: c. 1650-82. Dimensions: 45.9 x 33.0 cm (sheet of paper). Medium: watercolour. Hyacinths, Persian iris, Spanish daffodils and purple crocus (RCIN 924273)
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