Devil's Trumpet / Datura Fastuosa
Not on view
The Datura, also known as the "Devil’s Trumpet" flower has a stunning purple-white appearance, but is also highly toxic and causes delirium and hallucinations when ingested. The unknown artist of this work has meticulously rendered the details of this plant, and has also included at left a scientific cross section of the flower in the style of European botanicals. This style had become popular among the so-called Company School painters commissioned by the British East India Company who patronized Indian artists in the 18th–19th centuries. This work comes from a group of natural studies associated with the Sibpur Botanical Gardens where William Roxburgh became superintendent in 1793.
