Wild Rose (Rosa canina) – Original Hand-Colored Engraving by Elisabeth Blackwell

This refined botanical engraving depicts the Wild Rose (Rosa canina), presenting a flowering branch with simple five-petalled blossoms, serrated compound leaves, and mature fruit arranged for clear botanical identification.

The composition combines delicacy and structure: pale pink flowers crown the upper stem, while vivid red rose hips punctuate the branches with visual emphasis. Elisabeth Blackwell carefully balances floral elegance with analytical clarity, allowing leaf, flower, fruit, and seed to be read distinctly within a natural, slightly asymmetrical form.

Created in the early eighteenth century, this plate belongs to A Curious Herbal, a foundational medical and botanical work distinguished by the unity of its production, in which drawing, copper engraving, and hand-colouring were executed by the same hand.

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Visual and Aesthetic Analysis

The plant is structured along a gently rising central stem, from which lateral branches extend with organic irregularity. The open flowers provide softness and rhythm at the apex, while the rounded rose hips introduce visual weight and chromatic contrast.

Subtle tonal modelling gives depth to the leaves and fruit without excessive contrast. The restrained palette—greens, pale pinks, and deep reds—supports both scientific legibility and decorative harmony, making the image equally suited to study and display.

About the Subject

The wild rose, commonly known as dog rose (Rosa canina), was one of the most important native medicinal plants in early European herbal medicine. Its fruits, or rose hips, were valued for their astringent and restorative properties and were used in syrups, conserves, and remedies long before their vitamin content was scientifically understood. Because different rose species could vary in medicinal strength, accurate visual identification of flowers, leaves, and hips was essential. Blackwell’s plate reflects this practical focus, documenting the plant across multiple stages of growth and emphasizing the fruit as a key therapeutic component.

Condition Report

The engraving is in exceptionally fine antique condition, printed on original handmade laid paper typical of early 18th-century botanical publications. A period watermark is visible on the sheet, consistent with contemporary papermaking practices. The surface remains fresh and stable, with light, even age-related toning. The impression is crisp and legible throughout, with well-preserved margins. The engraved credit “Eliz. Blackwell delin. sculp. et pinx.” is present and fully legible, confirming the unified authorship of the plate.

Details

• Artist: Elisabeth Blackwell
• Work / Publication: A Curious Herbal
• Period: 1737–1739
• Technique: Original copper engraving, drawn, engraved, and hand-colored by Elisabeth Blackwell
• Paper: Original handmade laid paper
• Watermark: Period watermark visible
• Sheet size: approx. 37 × 22 cm

For further context on Elisabeth Blackwell and the medical-botanical framework of A Curious Herbal, see our editorial feature:

Elisabeth Blackwell – A Curious Herbal