Barringtonia by Ellis Rowan - c. 1891 - 53.4 × 37.0 cm National Gallery of Victoria Barringtonia by Ellis Rowan - c. 1891 - 53.4 × 37.0 cm National Gallery of Victoria

Barringtonia

watercolour and gouache • 53.4 × 37.0 cm

  • Ellis Rowan - 30 July 1848 - 4 October 1922 Ellis Rowan

    c. 1891

Marian Ellis Rowan was born in Melbourne into a pastoral family; her father was a grazier and her maternal grandfather, John Cotton, was the author and illustrator of two books on English birds. She was educated at a girls’ school in Melbourne and received no formal artistic training. In 1873 she married the British army officer Frederic Rowan. The couple spent four years in New Zealand before returning to Melbourne, where Frederic entered business. His death in 1892, at the age of 48, marked a turning point in her life.

Rowan’s artistic path began early. As a young woman she started painting wildflowers, birds, insects, and butterflies—subjects that would remain central to her work. Her interest in botany was encouraged by Ferdinand von Mueller, a distinguished botanist and a friend of her father. From 1879 onward she exhibited widely at international exhibitions, earning significant acclaim: ten gold medals, fifteen silver, and four bronze. Among her many distinctions were the highest honors awarded at the 1888 Centennial International Exhibition in Melbourne.

An energetic traveler, Rowan journeyed throughout Australia, making six trips to Queensland in particular. After her husband’s death she spent many years abroad. In England, Queen Victoria accepted three of her paintings, and in the United States Rowan provided illustrations for three botanical books by Alice Lounsberry. Between 1916 and 1918 she traveled twice to Papua New Guinea, where, assisted by local guides, she located and painted 25 species of birds of paradise from life—an achievement that remains one of the most remarkable chapters of her career.

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