E.R.P., Mushroom Agaricus caulicinalis – Original 1860 watercolour painting
E.R.P., Mushroom Agaricus caulicinalis – Original 1860 watercolour painting
E.R.P., Mushroom Agaricus caulicinalis – Original 1860 watercolour painting

E.R.P. Mushroom Agaricus caulicinalis

£28.00
£28.00
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View the full Collection: Mushroom & Fungi Studies 1858–60

An original 1860 watercolour painting, E.R.P., Mushroom Agaricus caulicinalis.

A delightful 19th-century mushroom study, drawn from life at Malvern Tunnel in 1860.

The study is annotated: 'growing on a timber support in Malvern Tunnel'.

Please note that the initials at the lower right are on separate paper that has been pasted onto the main sheet.

One of a collection by the same hand that we have for sale, this study dates from a time when the science of mycology was very much in its infancy. It was only in the second half of the century that mycology began to organise itself as a distinct discipline in Britain, and even then it was a science on the margins, with a strong amateur tradition.

The artist is unknown but this is clearly someone with a keen interest in mycology, not just copying illustrations but drawing and identifying specimens in the field. With locations in Malvern and Herefordshire, the artist was quite possibly a female member of what has been described as a 'vibrant sisterhood' of amateur mycologists in the Midlands that included Sarah Price (fl.1864) and M.F. Lewis (fl.1860–1902).

In watercolour with pen and ink.

+ Read the S&W Collection Research

Mushroom & Fungi Studies 1858–60

This watercolour forms part of a collection of mycology studies that we have for sale by the same hand. Taken together, they are a fascinating record of the early study of mushrooms and fungi in the woodlands of Britain in the mid-19th century. The infancy of the discipline meant that at this time it was the very amateurs who were the experts: devoting their time to observing and recording the infinite peculiarities of fungi in the field. Often, by extension, these amateurs could thereby be women, who were otherwise excluded from the serious scientific realm of botany.<p><p>The artist is unknown but this is clearly someone with a keen interest in mycology, not just copying illustrations but drawing and identifying specimens in the field. With locations in Malvern and Herefordshire, the artist was quite possibly a female member of what has been described as a 'vibrant sisterhood' of amateur mycologists in the Midlands that included Sarah Price (fl.1864) and M.F. Lewis (fl.1860–1902). (Women made up 53% of the subscriber list to Prices's book, Illustrations of the fungi of our fields and woods (1864–1865)).<p><p>Today mycology remains a relatively small and young discipline that has yet to achieve the institutional presence of similar disciplines such as botany and zoology. Only 6-8% of the world’s fungi have so far even been identified. The subject is, however, undergoing a cultural shift, with the growing recognition that fungi play a crucial role in our understanding of the planet and its future

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+ Artwork Details

Dimensions: Height: 18.2cm (7.17") Width: 15.4cm (6.06")

Presented: Unframed.

Medium: Watercolour

Age: Mid-19th-century

Signed: Initialled lower right and JGP, likely a relation of the artist.

Inscribed: Inscribed lower right.

Dated: Dated lower right.

Condition: In good condition for its age. The picture may have minor imperfections such as slight marks, toning, foxing, creasing or pinholes, commensurate with age. Please see photos for detail.

Stock number: KB-426