Chinese Vase with Flowers, a Fig, and a Bean
by GARZONI, Giovanna, Watercolour and traces of black pencil on parchment, 510 x 369 mm
Garzoni achieved an unequalled luminosity by stippling richly pigmented watercolour on vellum, a fine-grained lambskin, kidskin, or calfskin prepared especially for writing. Once used for the finest manuscripts, vellum had been largely replaced by paper in book making.