Peruvian scilla and Azure damselfly, Johann Walter

A white scilla in a deep blue pot, visited by a damselfly. A round head of small white star-shaped flowers rises above a fountain of long green leaves, planted in a two-handled pot glazed in intense blue and decorated with a medallion. To the left, a slender damselfly hovers in the air, as light as a breath.

This white form of the Peruvian scilla, a Mediterranean bulb despite its name, was a rarity among collectors. Walter sets the pale flowers against the rich blue of the pot, a striking contrast that makes this one of the most graphic plates of the series.

Why it works on your wall

• Graphic and serene: a beautiful blue and white contrast for a living room, a bathroom or a bedroom
• Perfect as a pair: hang it next to its twin, the purple scilla with a blue bird
• Framing tip: a white or thin black frame enhances the blue of the pot

The Nassau-Idstein florilegium

Johann Walter (1604–1677), a painter from Strasbourg, was invited at least eight times between 1654 and 1674 by Count Johann of Nassau-Idstein to paint the flowers and fruit of his garden at Idstein, near Frankfurt. The resulting florilegium served as an illustrated catalogue of the count’s collection. This plate belongs to the album of 54 gouaches on vellum kept at the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris.

• Artist: Johann Walter (1604–1677)
• Work: Nassau-Idstein florilegium
• Date: between 1654 and 1674
• Technique: gouache on vellum
• Original: Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris
• Theme: scilla, damselfly, potted plant

Your print

• Colours restored from a high-definition scan of the original
• Printed in Europe on thick archival matte paper, FSC certified
• From A4 to A0, plus 40×60, 50×70, 60×90 and 70×100 cm and 12×18 to 27×40 inch sizes, all made for standard frames
• Free shipping, no minimum order. Shipped rolled in a sturdy tube

Pair it with Peruvian Scilla and Blue Dacnis or Pink Wallflower, or explore all our Johann Walter prints and our botanical prints.