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AEDImportant Georg Dionysius Ehret Virginia Botanical
About Seller
117 Tunnel Road
Asheville, NC 28805
United States
Based in Asheville, North Carolina, Brunk Auctions has been conducting sales of fine and decorative arts for over 30 years. Auctions are held in our North Carolina sale room but attracts a global audience. Founded by Robert Brunk in 1983, the auctions became well known for their integrity and profes...Read more
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About Auction
LiveOct 29, 2026
Dick & Shirley Roberts assembled a world-class collection of American furniture, paintings, maps, early Catesby prints, silver and porcelain, working with top dealers including Israel Sack, Liverant & Son, Deanne Levison, Arader, Shrubsole and others. Major centers of furniture making are represented: Boston, Portsmouth, Newport, Connecticut, Philadelphia and Charleston, with paintings by Jane Peterson, JC Beckwith, Childe Hassam, Willard Metcalf & Edmund Tarbell, among others. Silver by John Ewan, John Carter, Robert Reading, extensive selection of Francis I pattern; and early Chinese export. Brunk Auctions support@brunkauctions.com
View Full Catalog (273)
- Lot Description
(German, 1708-1770)
Illustration of the catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides) in bloom, signed and inscribed "Bignonia foliis, flore sordide/albo intus maculis purpureis & luteis/adsperso, Siliqua longissima & angustissima/Catesb./G.D. Ehret. pinxt"; pencil, watercolor and bodycolor on vellum, 20-7/8 x 14-1/4. (522 x 368 mm.); gilt wood frame, 24-1/4 x 17-5/8 x 1-5/8 in.
Provenance: Earls of Coventry at Croome Court, Croome D’abitot, Worcestershire, probably commissioned by William Coventry, the fifth earl of Coventry (1676-1751); W. Graham Arader III, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, purchased in 2001 (accompanied by facsimiles of the receipt and correspondence with the gallery); Estate of Richard and Shirley Roberts, Virginia Beach, Virginia
Literature: Deanne Levison, "Living with Antiques: A Collection on the Chesapeake Bay", The Magazine Antiques (December 2001), p. 811, pl. XII.
Note: Though historically identified as a Bignonia, this species is actually the Southern catalpa (Catalpa bignonioides), a tree native to Virginia and the southeastern United States. It was first documented in the 1720s by naturalist and plant explorer Mark Catesby, whose illustration and description of its "spreading bunches of tubulous flowers, White, only variegated with a few reddish purple spots and yellow streaks on the inside" closely correspond to Ehret's depiction (flore sordide albo intus maculis purpureis & luteis). Catalpas were a familiar feature of the colonial landscape and are documented as lining Williamsburg's Palace Green during the eighteenth century.
Thomas Jefferson also admired the species, including it in his 1771 planting plan for "The Open Ground on the West-a shrubbery" at Monticello. While serving as President, he further demonstrated his appreciation by arranging for seeds of the "Bignonia Catalpa" (Catalpa bignonioides) to be sent to his Parisian friend, Madame de Tessé.
References: Graham Arader Gallery and Colonial Williamsburg
- Provenance
Earls of Coventry at Croome Court, Croome D’abitot, Worcestershire, probably commissioned by William Coventry, the fifth earl of Coventry (1676-1751); W. Graham Arader III, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, purchased in 2001 (accompanied by facsimiles of the receipt and correspondence with the gallery); Estate of Richard and Shirley Roberts, Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Shipping Info
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Purchased items will be available for pick up or shipping from our Asheville, North Carolina auction facility within ten business days of the auction, or will be assessed a storage fee of $5.00 per day, per item. Purchaser agrees that packing and shipping is done at the purchaser's risk and that the purchaser will pay in advance all packing expenses, materials, carrier fees and insurance charges. At our discretion, items will either be packed by an agent such as a packaging store or Brunk Auctions. Please allow two weeks for shipping after payment is received. Shipment of large items is the responsibility of the purchaser. We are happy to provide names of carriers and shippers if a purchaser so requests. Brunk Auctions will have no liability for any loss or damage to shipped items.
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- Condition
laid down on card, fresh color, some slightly irregular trim at edge Note - Brunk Auctions makes every effort to offer accurate and thorough information, but encourages prospective bidders to inspect items in person whenever possible. Condition statements are provided as a courtesy for general guidance and should not be considered complete or definitive. They do not represent a warranty or assumption of liability by Brunk Auctions. Certain condition issues may not be specifically noted in the report but may be visible in the accompanying photographs, which are considered part of the overall condition report. Please refer to our Terms of Sale for complete information and contact us for additional photos or information as needed.
