In the great tradition of bringing citrus specimens from far flung climes I returned home with a windfall fruit from the royal palace of Real Alcázares De Seville. A perfect 'Citrus Limon Osbeck' Lemon from the great citrus collection.

In the sixteenth century there were sweet and bitter lemon trees in the gardens of the Real Alcázares, planted in the Garden of Cidral. In the 1669 Chronicles of Cosimo de Medicis around Spain and Portugal,the Tuscan prince narrates that he stopped to admire the vegetation: the great wonder of these gardens was however for us to find lemon trees covered with flowers in December... The citrus collections were so revered - it is known that The architect Vermondo Resta, who conducted much of the reform of the gardens in the early seventeenth century, was given everyday oranges and lemons and seasonal flowers from the gardens of Alcázar. These were some of the grants enjoyed by the architect as the greatest master of Seville’s palace. True treasure from the gardens of Paradise in Seville!

Oil, acrylic and gesso on board in antique frame 41 cm w x 32.5 cm h unframed 54 cm w x 46 cm h framed