Several years back, I purchased this 100-plus-year-old George Jones tile (background) at auction. It was misnamed as lily-of-the-valley, but being a professional gardener, I knew differently. It was a while before I decided to use it in a painting but when I acquired the cutting-edge snowdrop produced by Avon Bulbs www.avonbulbs.co.uk – Galanthus ‘Phantom’ – I knew it was the one.
Silhouetted against the tile, ‘Phantom’ has two flower spikes per bulb, the first being a poculiform. If you notice, these flowers are nearly twice the size as the flowers on the tile. Galanthus flowers a hundred years ago were smaller than the modern hybrids. The difference is most striking seeing them growing them side by side in the garden.
This painting will be auctioned at David Rago Auctions www.ragoarts.com
one of the famous appraisers from the Antiques Roadshow. Proceeds will benefit Lambertville Historical Society www.lambertvillehistoricalsociety.org
Live auction: Saturday Feb. 11 from 5:30 – 7:30 PM
Rago Auction Center (Cherry & Main Sts.) Lambertville, NJ