In the garden of the Hortus Botanicus, where the evening primrose blooms every year, a monument to Hugo de Vries, a sculpture by Gijs Assmann, has recently been erected. A work table, half in the flowerbed, half on the path. Not a memorial, but an arrangement that still seems to be in use. Carefully cast utensils lie on the worktop: a hand magnifier, identification needle, tweezers, pencil, scalpel, watering can, microscope slide. A laboratory glass contains a large evening primrose, the plant Hugo de Vries used for his mutation research.
The contribution of De Vries’ work to science and to the Hortus is undeniable. The surrounding plant section displays species that were important to his research. This sculpture makes investigative observation tangible, making scientific research on plants visible and accessible to a wide audience.
Photo Friso Keuris
