Philadelphia Antiques Show 2016_

W 115 W From the Collection of… From the Collection of… Mark & Marjorie Allen Mark &Marjorie Allen, Gilford, NH A rare Dutch majolica blue dash pomegranate dish. These dishes from the early 17th century are quite colorful but the provenance of this example adds significantly to its interest. During the 1990s the “Rembrandt House” museum was undergoing renovation. Part of this included excavation of the privy next door, which would have been part of Rembrandt’s property at the time of his active studio. Part of the contents from the layer of early 17th-century material contained shards of drinking glasses, over 20 delft ointment pots containing dried out oil pigments, and five damaged Dutch majolica plates. This plate was one of those plates. GrahamArader Arader Galleries, NewYork, NY While my collecting passion has been rare maps since my undergraduate days at Yale, the natural history (flora, fauna and animals) of the lands that these intrepid explorers encountered became an equal curiosity. This stunning original rhododendron watercolor painted by German artist Georg Dionysius Ehret is the original watercolor study for an engraving that later appeared in his important scientific work, Plantae Selectae (c. 1750–1773). Ehret’s delicate modulations of tone and shadow bring vitality to this exquisite vellum, belying its ostensibly documentary purpose. His distinctive style transcends scientific illustration, achieving a level of beauty that has rarely been equaled in the history of botanical art. This particular work is dear to my heart because Ehret’s flowers are some of the first works to reflect the Linnaean system of classification and to focus on exotic species from America. Over the last ten years I have been focusing on the intersection of art and science and its impact on young people. Collecting original botanical watercolors such as this inspired me to create a program in American universities to display 16th- to 19th-century natural history artwork in public spaces enabling students to have exposure to the natural world as it was experienced by early artists and explorers. It is my hope that watercolors such as Ehret’s “Rhododendron” will inspire a commitment to preservation, conservation, and education in our future leaders.