In 1855, Marianne North took up painting after the demise of her mother, who upon her deathbed requested of her 25-year-old daughter that she never leave her father alone like she was about to….

North fulfilled that promise and traveled with him until he succumbed to an Alpine illness fourteen years later. “Unmarried” at 39, she decided to take her considerable inheritance and continue to travel the world… solo.

In starched Victorian dress, she painted plants, places, and people in situ, en Plein air from Chile (upon the recommendation of her friend, the extraordinary painter Frederic Edwin Church, at whose estate, Olana, she stayed) to India and back.

Later, in 1880, Darwin mentioned Australia to her, so she packed herself off again to the other side of the globe, making sure to sail on to Aotearoa (New Zealand) and paint some more.

Then, once home, she donated all her works - and a museum to house them - to the Kew, where they remain to this day.

Over 800 small oil-on-board works line the walls of the Marianne North Gallery she had designed and built as a gift to the gardens. It is a living testament to the lasting impact of one courageous woman’s will to explore and discover the endlessly rewarding natural sciences with her simple paintbrush.

Bookmark this page to check back with me as I post more resources on this truly inspirational adventurer.

Marianne North links:

1. Marianne North Gallery, Kew Gardens, London

2. Marianne North’s diaries at Botanical Art and Artists. Full Text.

3. Marianne North on Wikipedia

4. More of North at Kew