Analytical Beauty

This exhibition showcases previously unseen floral depictions from the Neue Galerie Graz collection. The exhibition features a variety of motifs, ranging from Biedermeier watercolours and Far Eastern colour woodcuts to contemporary interpretations of floral art. The link between science and art is evident throughout the exhibition, from the systematic pictorial documentation of botany in the form of realistic, detailed plant depictions to the full exploitation of the aesthetic qualities of the floral motif — one of the oldest motifs in art and cultural history.

The emerging natural sciences are particularly evident in the plant depictions of the early 19th century. Interestingly, modern science still favours painted representations of objects because they can reproduce details and contexts much more vividly than photographic processes. However, these depictions' appeal lies in the fact that they stimulate both our 'cool intellect' and our collective 'sense of beauty' in equal measure.