Snapdragon Plant with Seed Pods (Antirrhinum majus L.), Anselmus Boëtius de Boodt, 1596 - 1610
brush, h 324mm × w 137mm More details
The Historia Naturalis aimed to give a reliable scientific image for each subject, but at first sight this strangelooking plant seems rather fantastical. However, the skull-like white ‘flowers’ are the dried seed pods of the snapdragon. The draughtsman copied the image from a print from the Cruydt-Boeck (1554), an album with plant illustrations made by botanist Rembert Dodoens (1517-1585).
