Waterlilies (1854)

Dated 1854, "Waterlilies" is an artwork by William Sharp. The catalogue places it in Plants & Animals. The format is landscape. Plants & Animals, a short history: Images of plants and animals run from medieval herbals and bestiaries to the scientific illustration of the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. Images of plants and animals are valued both for the care of their observation and for their decorative appeal. Context for 1854: The first half of the nineteenth century moved from Neoclassicism to Romanticism, which placed emotion, nature, and the sublime at the centre of painting. The invention of lithography around 1796 and its spread in these decades made printed images cheaper and more varied.

Your purchase of "Waterlilies" on onlly.art is a digital download: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI. After payment the download link arrives by email, and you can send the files to any print service you trust. A landscape format suits wide, low wall spaces such as the stretch above a bed, mantel, or sideboard. If you are unsure about size, measure the wall first, then pick a frame whose proportions follow the image. Hang the print away from direct sunlight, which over the years can fade any printed colour. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size. Matte and fine-art papers reduce glare in bright rooms, while glossy papers give stronger contrast and deeper blacks.

English, 1749–1824

If you like the visual language of William Sharp, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.