Malus domestica ‘Catshead’

The Tradescants were 17th century gardeners who introduced many new plants to England. More than 160 varieties of fruit were listed amongst the inventory of plants grown at the Tradescants nursery in Lambeth, many of which are illustrated in the Orchard. The Garden Museum invited 40 of the worlds leading botanical artists to paint watercolours of fruit in response to the Orchard.

Artist Nina Krauzewicz has had a lifelong interest in old texts, particularly medieval European literature and herbals. Through these writings she became aware that our links with the plant world range throughout time and human experience, a concept reflected in her work. The Catshead Apple really does look like a cat's head. Nina discovered it was being grown from cuttings from an old tree that the owner used to sit in reading when she was a child. She wanted to create a contemporary representation that reflects the earliest history of the Catshead Apple variety in England.