Citrus sinensis
1911
This isn't your average fruit bowl centerpiece — it's a meticulously detailed botanical record of a stained orange, painted by Ellen Isham Schutt in 1911. Schutt was one of the USDA's star botanical illustrators, tasked with documenting every variety of fruit entering America's agricultural system. Notice those curious markings on the orange's peel? They're not artistic flair — they document actual cold-storage damage from a shipment that traveled from Muler Park, Florida to New York in March 1911. Schutt signed and dated this study twice in May 1911, likely refining her work over two sessions. These humble fruit portraits helped farmers, scientists, and importers identify and protect America's food supply.
- Technique
- Watercolor on paper
Location: National Agricultural Library, USDA, Beltsville, Maryland