George Sand (1804 - 1876, born Amantine-Lucile-Aurore Dupin) was France’s most famous 19th century female writer. During her impressive work in journalism, politics, theater, and literature, she produced a large number of novels and plays, a massive two-volume autobiography, stories, essays, and articles- and published them all under the male pseudonym of George Sand. She was also a skilled draughtswoman and painter: her work, on permanent display in the Musée de la Vie Romantique in Paris, is highly accomplished.
In the early 1870s, near the end of a life filled with artistic production, Sand became inspired by a certain method of applying watercolor which she would call “dendrite” or “aquarelle à l’écrasage.” She would prepare a paper with spots of color and then press a heavier paper on top. When she pulled one away from the other, the spots of color would transfer, creating a texture similar to branches of trees or bushes. Hence the term dentrite, Greek for tree. Well known in France, this work is rarely seen in the United States.