Punica granatum

In Punica granatum, one of the illustrations from Dorothea Eliza Smith’s The Fruits of the Lima Market, the shape and color of flowers and an unripe fruit are illustrated above while below there is a ripening pomegranate alongside two ripe pomegranates, one cut to show the seeds within. The three seeds, positioned between the ripe and unripe forms, are delicately detailed and cast their own tiny shadows cast across the page. Native to western Asia the pomegranate had been introduced into Peru well before the nineteenth century. Like many of Smith’s subject, which are not typical tropical fruits, it reflects the extent to which Peruvian society was still strongly influenced by Spain even several decades after Peruvian independence. The note beneath: “Punica granatum/Nat. name-“Granada”, of which the white and the red varieties are here represented/Tree from 10 to 20 feet high; fruit ripens in May.” The notes, thought to have been written by her husband, Dr. Archibald Smith, add to the words the artist wrote herself about the pomegranate piece. Eventually, the album of Dorothea Eliza Smith’s art, created in Peru was became a gift to her daughter Isabella, a tribute to the country where her parents had spent part of their lives.