The world is my canvas

Hi y'all

I wish you a wonderful summer, and I’ll see you again on September 4 for some more FEMiNOMENALITIES.

The world is my canvas

Marianne North, painter and adventurer. Photo credit: Julia Margaret Cameron.

Marianne North, Marianne North, who in the world is Marianne North? Or rather, who was she? Here are some basic info:

• North was born in 1830. 

• She was the daughter of a prosperous land-owning family.

• She came from Hastings, England.

• She had two younger siblings. 

• Initially, she was trained as a vocalist…

• …however, after her voice unfortunately failed, she ended up devoting herself to painting flowers.   

Now, painting flowers may not sound like the most adventurous occupation, but to Marianne North, it became just that. It all started in 1856 when North, a 26-year-old at the time, visited the Palm House in ​Kew Gardens​, London. Kew Gardens is a botanic garden that specialises in growing tropical and subtropical plants, and when seeing all these strange and beautiful flowers, Marianne was thrilled.

Amherstia nobilis; Photo credit: RBG Kew.

“Sir William Hooker [the director of Kew Gardens] gave me a hanging bunch of Amherstia nobilis, one of the grandest flowers in existence. It was the first that had bloomed in England, and it made me long to see the tropics,” North later writes.

She’d had an interest in flowers for some time. Since her mother had died in 1855, she’d begun painting flowers, and her father had encouraged her in her work. Also, she was keen on travelling. She visited Syria, Egypt, and several European countries with her father; however, one day in October 1869, her father died. She was now nearly 40 years old, a mistress (by her own choice) and all of a sudden, she felt very alone. Fortunately, though, she managed to pick herself up, and with her newly inherited money, she decided to travel around the world and paint flowers and landscapes. All by herself. 

“Ever since my father died, the master of my life is now to learn from the lovely world. It’s my duty to paint the exotic plants and places that remain a mystery,” North announced. 

World map of Marianne North’s travels; Photo credit: RBG Kew.

Over the next fourteen years, North visited 15 countries on almost every continent. “I’m an intrepid explorer,” she stated. “In spite of petticoats and crinolines, I’ll explore the world. From Chile to Singapore, from Brazil to Australia. The world is my canvas.”

Night-Flowering Lily and Ferns, Jamaica; Photo credit: RBG Kew.

North created over 800 paintings using oil painting to illustrate her flowers and plants. Her work was not a traditional approach to scientific illustration; instead, she operated in a cross-field between science and art.

The fruit and flower of the pomelo or citrus grandis and a branch of henna with a flying lizard; Photo credit: RBG Kew.

In 1879, North decided that she wanted to pass on her paintings. She asked the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew if they’d accept them as gifts: “It would be a great happiness to know my life had not been spent in vain. That I can leave something behind which will add to the pleasure of others.”

And yes, the Botanic Gardens did accept her gift. North ended up raising a special building for her paintings - at her own expense. It was named the ​Marianne North Gallery​, and it opened in 1882. It’s still there, by the way, open to visitors. Fancy to go? I sure do!

The Women Project

Carol Rossetti​ is a 36-year-old artist from Belo Horizonte, Brazil. She creates illustrations and comics, including ​The Women Project​. “It always bothered me the world's constant attempts to control women's bodies, behaviors and identities,” she writes on her website. “This control is such a deep part of our culture that we hardly ever realize how cruel it is and how it restricts our personal choices.” Perhaps you recognise some of Rossetti’s messages?

Thanks for reading!

Until next time - Majken xx

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It's FEMiNOMENAL!_is a blog on WOMEN within the field of History - Writing - Culture. All texts, videos, etc., are about women and/or created by women or by a team strongly represented by women. WHY? Because overall, a female approach only gets a little airtime in this world, and we need to change this. Welcome and thank you for joining.

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