Marianne North
Marianne North was an English Victorian biologist and botanical artist, notable for her plant and landscape paintings, her extensive foreign travels, her writings, her plant discoveries, and the creation of her gallery at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Marianne defied conventions in botanical art, diverging from the traditional Victorian approach. During that era, botanical art was typically done in watercolor on light backgrounds to depict plants' colors realistically. North broke away from this norm by using oil paints, which gave her work greater vibrancy and impact. She also painted plants within their natural settings, sometimes including animals, temples, and people in her compositions.
She traveled the world and explored it, from redwoods in California to pitcher plants in Borneo. She made it her mission to paint as many plants in faraway places as possible. We will be presenting more of her art, as it is truly amazing!
Have a great Saturday!
P.S. Marianne North is featured in our Flowers in Art 50 Postcards Set, which you can buy in our DailyArt Shop. :)
P.P.S. North wasn't the only pioneering botanical female artist. Her story is similar to that of Maria Sibylla Merian, the artist who changed science forever!