Vitis Rei Vermelho
1911
Imagine reaching out and plucking one of these juicy, deep purple grapes right off the page. Ellen Isham Schutt painted this 'Red Emperor' cluster in 1911 for the USDA, using her incredible skill to document agricultural varieties for farmers. The way she captures the dusty, silvery bloom on the skin and the way the light hits each round fruit makes this scientific illustration look almost like a photograph. You can spot her signature and the date 'Apr. 6-1911' in the bottom right, a tiny timestamp on a century-old masterpiece of botanical art.
Views: 6