Aegle marmelos.
1909
Ellen Isham Schutt rendered this speckled, yellow-green Bael fruit (*Aegle marmelos*) with the meticulous eye of a realist in 1909. Created for the USDA, the drawing likely documents a specimen sent back from India by the famous plant explorer David Fairchild, whose name is scribbled at the bottom alongside the date. While it resembles a giant, tough-skinned lime, this 'wood apple' is actually sacred in Hinduism and its fragrant pulp is used to make a popular cooling drink called bael sherbet. It’s a beautiful example of how botanical illustration served as the 'Instagram' of the agricultural world—documenting exotic finds for the public before photography was widespread.
- Technique
- Watercolor
- Material
- Paper
Views: 5