Pomegranate fruit, plum, citron, privet hawk-moth and beetle, Johann Walter

Pomegranates, plums and giant citrons, with a moth and a beetle. At the top, two pomegranates hang from a flowering branch with scarlet blossoms, and a broken piece shows its ruby seeds. Below, two purple plums sit on a leafy twig, and at the bottom, two huge knobbly citrons fill the page. A privet hawk-moth and a long-horned beetle complete the scene.

Pomegranates and citrons were luxury fruits north of the Alps, grown with great effort in orangeries. The citron, ancestor of the lemon, was prized for its scent and its thick peel. Walter adds insects to bring the still life to life.

Why it works on your wall

• Rich and colourful: a generous still life for a kitchen or a dining room
• Fruit and insects: a cabinet-of-curiosities feel, full of details to discover
• Framing tip: a gold or dark wood frame gives it the look of an old master painting

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: fruit, insects, still life

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 Grapes, Melons and Oranges or Oranges and Shells, or explore all our Johann Walter prints and our kitchen wall art.