{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O765808"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O765808/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NP3369/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NP3369/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2023NP3369","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O765808/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O765808","accessionNumber":"E.1737-1924","objectType":"Watercolour drawing","titles":[{"title":"Ricinus communis L.","type":"generic title"},{"title":"Castor Oil Plant","type":"popular title"}],"summaryDescription":"In the late 18th century European gardeners and plantsmen and women became more and more interested in plants from China. Many of our most familiar garden plants such as tree paeonies, magnolias and camellias were introduced from China during this period as a consequence of trading contacts and plant hunting expeditions.\r\n\r\nIn China, foreigners were confined to the island of Macao and allowed into Canton only when their ships were in port. Consequently collectors and botanists commissioned paintings of Chinese plants from native artists in the trading ports. Although China had a long tradition of naturalistic flower painting the Chinese artists were given examples of European illustration to copy and were trained in the western conventions of botanical drawing. They were adept copyists, but the Chinese drawings always retain a distinctive character that makes them unmistakable. The modelling of the forms is always rather solid, and done in two contrasting flat tones. The native Chinese style of painting involved abstraction and idealization of natural forms; when following Western instruction to give precise details in order that the plant might be identified and classified, the Chinese artist gave a literal transcripton of the individual specimen with all its unique features.","physicalDescription":"Botanical study of a branch of a tree, with maple-like leaves, pale green on the underside, a branch with prickly green round seed pods and a branch with clusters of pale green buds opening into red petals?, with clustered yellow flowers.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"bodycolour","id":"x34671"}],"techniques":[{"text":"watercolour drawing","id":"x37878"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Illustration","id":"THES48938"},{"text":"Science","id":"THES48898"},{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"},{"text":"Botanical art","id":"THES277744"},{"text":"Chinese botanical drawings","id":"THES413953"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2023NP3369"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLE","id":"THES49657"},"free":"","case":"DP","shelf":"100","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"drawing","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"China","id":"x29398"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"first quarter 19th century","earliest":"1800-01-01","latest":"1825-12-31"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":"The papers used are watermarked from 1794 to 1825"}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"46","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"36.4","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"1794 / J WHATMAN","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"watermark, vertical, top right-side"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Castor Oil Plant (Ricinus communis L.) by an unknown Chinese artist; watercolour; about 1760-1825","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design & Department of Paintings, Accessions 1924</u>, published under the Authority of the Board of Education, London, 1926."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"plant","id":"AAT132360"},{"text":"Castor Oil Plant","id":"x47029"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Unknown artist\r\nCastor Oil Plant (Ricinus communis L.)\r\nAbout 1760-1825\r\n\r\nIn China, foreigners were confined to the island of Macao and allowed into Canton only when their ships were in port. To obtain drawings of Chinese plants they commissioned native artists and trained them in western conventions of illustration. This drawing shows the hybrid style that emerged, retaining the Chinese flattened perspective and modelling of forms in two contrasting tones.\r\n\r\nChina\r\nWatercolour\r\nV&A: E.1737-1924","date":{"text":"2011","earliest":"2011-01-01","latest":"2011-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["E.1737-1924"],"accessionNumberNum":"1737","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1924,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-12-15","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}