Georg Dionysius Ehret (German, 1708-1770)
(African dwarf peach tree) PERSICA. Africana nana, flore incarnato pleno. Tourn
[“African dwarf peach [tree], with full [double] flesh-colored flowers. [According to] Tournefort.”]
Pencil and watercolor, heightened with bodycolor and with touches of gum arabic, on laid paper, watermark fleur-de-lis within a coat-of-arms
Inscribed ‘PERSICA. Africana nana, flore incarnato pleno. Tourn.’ (lower center) and with inscription ‘By Ehret. / Bo’t. at Sale of Bale colln June ‘81. / lot 2291.’ (verso)
Paper size: 19 ¾ x 13 ¾ in.
Provenance: Charles Sackville Bale (1791-1880), London (†); Christie’s, London, 9 June 1881, part of lot 2291 (2 ¾ gns to Oliver), possibly Professor Daniel Oliver, F.R.S. (1830-1916), London.
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This appears to be a study of a flowering branch from the Prunus persica, otherwise known as the peach tree. More specifically, Ehret’s notation of “Africana nana” likely refers to the African Dwarf peach tree, often called genetic dwarfs or container peaches. This variety has a history rooted in ancient Asian cultivation, specifically Chinese cultivation, dating back over 2,500 years. These compact trees, known for producing full-sized fruit on small, 3- to 6-foot structures, were developed to thrive in limited spaces.