Medicinal Herbs
In 2014 I was artist in residence in the gardens at The Royal College of Physicians. The series of paintings I produced on paper and vellum recorded some of the history and chemistry of a selection of their medicinal plants.The finished pieces were exhibited in "Chemistry in the Gardens: paintings by Nina Krauzewicz" at the Royal College of Physicians, near Regent's Park in London, in 2015. The residency began a longer term interest in medicinal plants as they have been viewed through the ages from the writings of the ancient herbalist, Dioscorides, to the present day. Following completion of further paintings I exhibited them under the title "Soothing, Poisonous, Purgative" at the Royal Horticultural Society spring show in Malvern in 2016, and was awarded a silver gilt medal for the collection. Works are for sale (prices range from £600 to £1000) and Giclee prints are available to order at a price of £55-60 +p&p (life size in off white mount). Please do get in touch through the contact page on this website to enquire about purchases.
Aristolochia clematitis - birthwort (2015, watercolour on vellum)
"This herb called aristolochia and by another name smerowyrt, is given birth to on downland and rocky places. Against snakebite, take of this same herb root ten penny weight and half a sextarius of wine macerated together, drink the same often, then it will expel that poison."
The text is from the 11th century manuscript The Old English Herbarium and De Medicina De Quadrupedibus and the chemical structure represents aristolochic acid.
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The text is from the 11th century manuscript The Old English Herbarium and De Medicina De Quadrupedibus and the chemical structure represents aristolochic acid.
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Datura stramonium - the thorn apple (2015, watercolour on vellum)
" Greenish says: In 1833, two years after the discovery of atropine, Geiger and Hesse extracted from stramonium seeds an alkaloid to which they gave the name daturine. Schmidt subsequently showed that these seeds contain the alkaloid hyoscyamine associated with a small proportion of atropine and scopolamine."
The text is from A Text Book of Materia Medica by Henry G. Greenish (1909 Churchill, London)
Papaver somniferum - the opium poppy (2015, watercolour and walnut ink on vellum)
"The seeds of the black poppy beaten small is given to drink with wine for the flux of the belly and the womanish flux. As to the liquor, to extract the juice: after the dew has dried up draw round the asterisk with a knife, without perforating the inside, cut in from the side of the head and wipe up the tear drop. A little of it taken, as much as a grain of Ervum is a pain easer. But more causes longing, hurt, lethargy and death."
The text is in Byzantine Greek, taken from the Juliana Anicia Codex, an early 6th century manuscript.
The chemical structures represent morphine (left) and heroin (right).
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The text is in Byzantine Greek, taken from the Juliana Anicia Codex, an early 6th century manuscript.
The chemical structures represent morphine (left) and heroin (right).
SOLD