The Night-Blowing Cereus
Series TitleThe Temple of Flora
Artist
Robert Dunkarton
(English, 1744 - 1811)
Artist
Abraham Pether
(English, 1756 - 1812)
Publisher
Dr. Robert John Thornton
(English, ca. 1768 - 1837)
Artist After
Philip Reinagle
(English, 1749 - 1833)
Date1800
MediumMezzotint and etching; printed in color and finished with hand coloring
DimensionsOverall: 19 × 14 1/8 inches (48.26 × 35.89 cm)
Credit LineGift of Herman R. Sutherland
Object numberF87-5/14
Edition/State/ProofII/II
On View
On viewGallery Location
- 130
Collections
Gallery LabelAlthough native to the Caribbean, the night-blowing (night-blooming) cereus appears here in an artificial British setting. As the clock in the background suggests, this nocturnal flower has bloomed at 12:03 a.m. Robert Dunkarton employed the mezzotint printmaking technique to achieve the dark and moody tonality of the flower. To create fields of color, an artist roughens the metal plate to create even areas that hold ink. The image is then created by burnishing areas of the surface. These smoothed parts print lighter than those left incised.
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