Changeable Gladiolus (Gladiolus versicolor) – Original Hand-Colored Engraving by Henry Andrews, Antique Botanical Print (1799)

The Flower in Motion

This refined original hand-coloured engraving from Henry Charles Andrews’ The Botanist’s Repository depicts the Changeable Gladiolus, historically identified as Gladiolus versicolor. Published in 1799, the plate presents a tall, slender flowering plant whose delicate corolla appears suspended in movement above the long upright foliage.

Unlike the monumental flower heads of Andrews’ Proteas and Banksias, this composition depends upon lightness, rhythm and graceful instability. The narrow stem rises through the open paper before bending gently beneath the flower, while the softly curling segments of the corolla seem to unfold and turn in the surrounding air.

Visual Analysis

The composition is structured around a long vertical ascent. The bulb and fine root system anchor the plant at the lower edge, while the slender flowering stem extends almost the full height of the sheet before supporting the inclined corolla above.

The leaves create a restrained sequence of upright lines around the central stem. Some remain almost rigid, while others bend slightly or cross one another, introducing subtle changes of direction without disturbing the overall clarity of the plant’s structure.

At the summit, the flower turns laterally and opens into a complex arrangement of curling segments. Their uneven edges and changing orientation create an impression of movement, as though the corolla were responding to a gentle current of air.

The flower is deliberately asymmetrical. Some segments project outward, others turn back towards the centre, and several descend in loose, irregular curves. This controlled imbalance gives the composition its distinctive grace and prevents the botanical study from appearing static.

The colouring remains soft and restrained. Pale yellow, green, rose, brown and muted violet tones pass gradually across the corolla, creating a delicate, changeable surface that reflects the historical name of the species.

The flower does not dominate through intense colour or scale. Instead, it draws attention through the refinement of its tonal transitions and the expressive movement of its outline. The open paper surrounding it intensifies the impression of lightness and suspension.

The long dark-green foliage provides a calm visual counterpoint. Its verticality stabilises the composition, while the flower introduces movement and irregularity above, creating a balanced relationship between botanical structure and expressive form.

The isolated botanical details at the lower right identify the floral sheath, reproductive structure and seed. Their simple arrangement preserves the scientific character of the plate while leaving the principal plant surrounded by generous open space.

About the Species

Gladiolus versicolor belongs to the Iridaceae and is native to the Cape region of South Africa. Its historical English name, Changeable Gladiolus, refers to the remarkable colour transformations observed in the flower after opening.

In the accompanying text, Andrews describes the blossom as changing repeatedly during the course of a single day. He records that it opened in brown tones during the morning, became bluish as the day progressed and changed again during the night.

According to Andrews, these transformations continued throughout the brief life of the flower. The delicately shifting colour made the species particularly difficult to record, since a drawing begun at one moment could no longer correspond exactly to the flower by the time the artist returned to complete it.

Andrews notes that the drawing had to be made rapidly because the flower changed so extensively. This historical observation adds unusual significance to the plate: it records not a single fixed appearance, but an attempt to capture a botanical subject whose colour was continually in transition.

The bulbs were received from the Cape of Good Hope through J. Pringle in 1794 and were cultivated by the celebrated Lee and Kennedy nursery in Hammersmith. Andrews made his study from flowering plants growing in their collection.

The accompanying account reflects the close relationship between botanical art and living cultivation in The Botanist’s Repository. Andrews did not represent an abstract or preserved specimen, but observed a flower whose changing appearance demanded both speed and exceptional sensitivity to colour.

Curatorial Note

Close examination reveals an exceptionally restrained engraved framework beneath the hand colouring. The copperplate defines the essential botanical contours and selected internal structures, but remains deliberately subordinate to the transparent watercolour.

The engraved marks are particularly light across the corolla. Andrews avoids constructing the flower through dense hatching, allowing delicate colour to determine most of its volume, softness and visual movement.

Fine engraved lines become more evident only where they serve a specific descriptive purpose. They clarify the narrow foliage, the longitudinal structure of the stems, the delicate roots and selected folds or veins within the flower.

The corolla is modelled through finely layered transparent washes. Pale yellow and green passages merge with restrained rose, violet and brown tones, producing a surface that appears changeable rather than fixed.

The restrained chromatic range is essential to the identity of the plate. Andrews does not attempt to create a single brilliant colour statement; instead, he preserves the uncertainty and transition described in his original account of the living flower.

The white paper beneath the transparent pigment contributes directly to the softness of the image. Light remains present within the pale washes, preventing the flower from becoming opaque and reinforcing the impression of a corolla suspended in open space.

The foliage is coloured with deeper and more stable green tones. Subtle tonal variations describe the curvature and overlap of the long leaves, while the engraved linear structure remains visible only where required to define their form.

Selective gum arabic is preserved across portions of the foliage. Its gentle reflections evoke the smooth living surface of the leaves and introduce a discreet material contrast with the softly painted, non-reflective flower.

This distinction between surfaces is characteristic of Andrews’ refined handling of finishing materials. The leaves receive controlled highlights through gum arabic, while the flower retains the delicate luminosity of transparent watercolour and exposed paper.

The plate therefore depends upon a carefully calibrated relationship between line, colour and reflection. Engraving supplies botanical precision, watercolour creates movement and tonal transition, and selective gum arabic activates the green foliage through reflected light.

At the lower right, the sheet preserves Andrews’ characteristic handwritten publication inscription. The notation remains legible and forms an original component of the engraving’s publication history rather than a later annotation.

The inscription commonly includes the wording “Published as the Act directs”, together with the date, Andrews’ name and his address at 5 Knightsbridge, London. It records both the legal publication and the commercial circulation of the plate.

The wording referred to the British Engravers’ Copyright Act of 1735, widely known as Hogarth’s Act. The legislation was created to protect engravers and graphic artists against unauthorised copying and required publication information capable of establishing ownership of the design.

The plate mark is not visible on this individual impression. Its absence should not be interpreted as evidence of severe trimming, since the sheet retains generous surrounding paper and the visibility of a plate mark may vary according to printing pressure, historical binding and the later material history of the sheet.

No watermark has been observed on this individual impression. Examination of another original sheet belonging to this Prantique group of Andrews engravings, however, revealed a clearly legible J. Whatman 1794 watermark, documenting the use of fine English Whatman paper within the publication.

Although the watermark is a collection-level observation rather than a feature recorded on this sheet, it provides valuable material context. Together with the restrained engraved structure, original hand colouring, selective gum arabic and handwritten publication inscription, it helps reconstruct the sophisticated artisanal production of The Botanist’s Repository.

Henry Charles Andrews was unusual among botanical artists because he maintained close control over almost every stage of production. He drew from living specimens, engraved the copperplates, supervised or executed the colouring and published the work himself. This integration enabled him to respond directly to the distinctive behaviour and visual character of each plant.

Condition Report

Excellent condition. Exceptionally clean original late eighteenth-century paper with finely preserved hand colouring. No visible stains, foxing or signs of use are present. The pale transparent washes of the flower remain remarkably fresh, while the selective gum arabic applied to portions of the foliage retains its subtle reflective quality. The delicate engraved details and original handwritten publication inscription remain clearly legible. No watermark has been observed on this impression. Please examine the professional high-resolution photographs for a complete visual assessment.

Details

Historical botanical name: Gladiolus versicolor
Accepted botanical name: Gladiolus carneus F.W.Schmidt
Common name: Changeable Gladiolus
Work: The Botanist’s Repository, for New, and Rare Plants
Author, artist and engraver: Henry Charles Andrews
Publisher: Henry Charles Andrews, 5 Knightsbridge, London
Date: 1799
Technique: Original copper engraving with hand-applied watercolour and selective gum arabic finishing
Surface finishing: Selective gum arabic applied to portions of the green foliage
Publication inscription: Original handwritten publication inscription present and legible at the lower right
Plate mark: Not visible on this impression
Watermark: Not observed on this individual impression
Plate: XIX (19)
Plant family: Iridaceae
Historical introduction: Bulbs received from the Cape of Good Hope through J. Pringle in 1794
Historical cultivation: Grown and illustrated from living specimens cultivated by Lee and Kennedy, Hammersmith
Native region: South Africa, Cape region
Sheet size: approx. 28 × 22 cm