Artist: Royal Charles Steadman
Medium: Watercolor on Engraved Paper
Creation Year: c. 1919
Dimensions: 6 x 7 inches
Style: Still Life
Period: Early 20th Century
Condition: Excellent
Description: This beautifully detailed botanical watercolor of a plum branch is the work of Royal Charles Steadman (1875–1964), one of America’s most accomplished botanical illustrators. Notably, this piece is signed by the artist at the lower right, affirming its authenticity as part of his meticulous body of work.
Steadman was widely celebrated for his contributions to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Pomological Watercolor Collection, where his paintings documented countless varieties of fruit with scientific precision while elevating them to works of art. Here, three ripe plums hang from a slender branch, rendered with extraordinary care in texture, shading, and color. The rich purple tones of the fruit are balanced by the crisp, lifelike greens of the foliage, while even the cut end of the branch is described with technical accuracy.
Steadman’s art bridged the gap between agricultural science and fine art, ensuring that each subject was both botanically correct and aesthetically captivating. This signed example is not only a testament to his technical mastery but also a reflection of the early 20th-century effort to preserve natural beauty through careful documentation. It remains an elegant and historically significant piece, appealing to collectors of both botanical art and American illustration.
Artist: Royal Charles Steadman
Medium: Watercolor on Engraved Paper
Creation Year: c. 1919
Dimensions: 6 x 7 inches
Style: Still Life
Period: Early 20th Century
Condition: Excellent
Description: This beautifully detailed botanical watercolor of a plum branch is the work of Royal Charles Steadman (1875–1964), one of America’s most accomplished botanical illustrators. Notably, this piece is signed by the artist at the lower right, affirming its authenticity as part of his meticulous body of work.
Steadman was widely celebrated for his contributions to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Pomological Watercolor Collection, where his paintings documented countless varieties of fruit with scientific precision while elevating them to works of art. Here, three ripe plums hang from a slender branch, rendered with extraordinary care in texture, shading, and color. The rich purple tones of the fruit are balanced by the crisp, lifelike greens of the foliage, while even the cut end of the branch is described with technical accuracy.
Steadman’s art bridged the gap between agricultural science and fine art, ensuring that each subject was both botanically correct and aesthetically captivating. This signed example is not only a testament to his technical mastery but also a reflection of the early 20th-century effort to preserve natural beauty through careful documentation. It remains an elegant and historically significant piece, appealing to collectors of both botanical art and American illustration.
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