Taraxacum officinale
1928
Image not available — this artwork is under copyright
View on museum website →Medium
photogravure
Dimensions
image/plate: 26 × 19 cm (10 1/4 × 7 1/2 in.) sheet: 31.2 × 24.2 cm (12 5/16 × 9 1/2 in.)
Classification
Department
CPH
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Mary and Dan Solomon and Patrons' Permanent Fund
Accession Number
2006.133.34.75
Art Historical Context
**Taraxacum officinale**, a striking 1928 photogravure by German photographer Karl Blossfeldt, immortalizes the humble dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) in exquisite detail. Blossfeldt, a master of botanical imaging, used custom-built cameras to magnify plant forms, transforming everyday flora into monumental sculptures. This image, measuring 26 × 19 cm on a larger sheet, captures the plant's seed head with mesmerizing precision, revealing textures and structures often overlooked. Photogravure, the chosen medium, is an intaglio printing process that translates Blossfeldt's photographs into ric...
About the Artist
Karl Blossfeldt
Karl Blossfeldt (1865–1932), born in the rural village of Schielo near Germany's Harz Mountains, began his artistic journey as a sculptor. At age sixteen, he apprenticed at the Art Ironworks and Foundry in Mägdesprung, honing skills in casting and modeling that would inform his lifelong fascination with form and structure. He later studied at the Kunstgewerbemuseum in Berlin, the School of the Mus...