A closer look at the first day of spring (circa 1850)

One year ago today, also on the first day of spring, I featured a mid-19th century magazine illustration titled "Spring." It was just a short post and only featured that single image.

Looking back, however, I think I should have taken a closer look at the illustration. The artwork has a lot of surprises to offer.

So, here are some magnifications, beginning with the lovely lady and her flowers...

To the left of the woman, in background, a few sheep are milling about...

And some tiny, fragile butterflies flutter through the air...

Finally, look at the care that went into the tree roots and flowers in the bottom-right corner of the illustration...