The Marianne North Gallery, named after the artist whose botanicals were inspired by India, continues to be the only museum in Britain exclusively showcasing the art of a single woman.
Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of participating in the ‘Vibrant Gujarat’ event curated by Gujarat Tourism. The talk and networking evening brought together various stakeholders of the state, advocating for the region's tourism and promoting its cultural and natural heritage.
One of the key points mentioned was the high level of safety standards Gujarat has for women travellers. Before solo travel became a trend and books like 'Eat, Pray, Love' gained prominence, some passionate artists travelled near and far, documenting the region's heritage. Traveller accounts of Orientalists, Thomas and William Daniel and their views of India painted a picture of the landscape before the advent of photography.
Almost a century later, from 1878 to 1879—a time when traveling was not glamourised and was certainly not for the faint-hearted—Marianne North explored the remotest regions of India, painting the natural heritage and creating over two hundred works of art.
North’s love for nature and botanicals started early in life during a visit to the Kew Gardens in England. Hailing from a prosperous, aristocratic and well-connected family, North was exposed to travel and the platform to nurture relationships with prominent people of the time such as Charles Darwin. She eschewed life as a Victorian English woman of nobility and chose to explore the many bounties of nature. The art of painting botanicals has always been associated with the Company School in India.
Famous Elephant with Pet Goat, Bhavnagar, Gujarat, India by Marianne North | Credit: Kew Gardens
However, the subject of painting and drawing botanicals in vivid colours and precision started during the Mughal period when beautiful flower studies with ornate borders were created. These studies that gained popularity during the rule of Emperor Jehangir were perhaps made for leisure, to be viewed with pleasure rather than as illustrations to document and identify plants and herbs.
Marianne North’s study of botany was a fabulous documentation of plants, herbs, and unique and rare to regions yet undiscovered. She found synergy in art and science as she painted botany in the traditional manner, using myriad shades of a single colour for accuracy and favouring a blank white backdrop. The herb, flower, or leaf was the subject, the main character of the painting, similar to works of botanists such as Mary E Butt and William Butt whose Hibiscus liliiflorus from the book ‘Flowers Of The Bombay Presidency' is perhaps the most beautiful painting of a hibiscus.
North’s research was far more extensive as were her travels. During her year-long tenure exploring the length and breadth of India, she did not just limit herself to botanical art but also explored the landscape. The deodar trees of Kumaon, the bazaar of Simla, the palaces of Punjab and the most special one for me is an elephant with a pet goat in Bhavnagar. The elephant painted in bright colourful shades and the little goat are shown in this oil on paper work in a stable.
North writes fondly that the "elephant was brought up with a goat and could not bear to see anyone touch his friend or even her two kids. He pawed the ground, threw up his trunk, and roared with rage till she was free again, then stroked her with his trunk".
The painting makes for a playful visual of an ordinary backdrop. North even visited and painted the Taj Mahal. While several paintings on the monument from historic times till date have been written about and explored, I wonder why Marianne’s version has never received the popularity it deserves.
Hibiscus liliiflorus from the rare book ‘Flowers Of The Bombay Presidency’ by Mary E Butt and William Butt | Credit: Flowers of the Bombay Presidency.
The Taj is by far the most enchanting and magical of the seven wonders of the world. North has juxtaposed trees and leaves of green and brown shades with the monument giving the viewer only a glimpse of the structure. The female characters painted in a mundane manner make the painting feel realistic but the wild flora and fauna take the viewer into a sublime trance. The work of art almost seems like a scene from a fantasy land, a Disney fairy tale.
Her indefatigable efforts to encapsulate flora and fauna and travel the world did not merely end with her paintings. She was a visionary woman, clearly well ahead of her time, journaling her life and travels. Towards the end of her life, she funded the building of a gallery and supervised its construction at Kew Gardens. She bequeathed her collection and painstakingly curated the walls of the gallery, which till date, have the artworks displayed in the same manner. It was life coming full circle as this was where her intrigue, fasciation, and interest in botanicals started.
The Marianne North Gallery continues to be the only museum in Britain exclusively showcasing the art of a single woman. Visitors can visually travel across continents, journey through fifteen countries with the vivid paintings adorned here. Her inspirational journey of a life well lived continues to inspire artists and scientists. Plant species such as Areca Northiana and Chassalia Northiana have even been named in her honour.
I do wonder why an exhibition of her works, especially the 200 works painted during her travels in India has never been curated. While the introduction of photography did lead to the withering of the art of painting botanicals, there are still artists taking this tradition forward. Nirupa Rao, an artist based in India, continues to take forward botanical art and was also the youngest artist to be featured in the book, 'Indian Botanical Art - An Illustrated History' published by Kew Botanical Garden’s and written by Martyn Rix. Hemlata Pradhan is another female artist whose botanical illustrations are expressive works of art.
Botanical art is a gateway to understanding the natural heritage of the region. In an era, where each year records the hottest summer and coldest winter and the cornucopia of species on this planet are going extinct, botanical works of art are historical narratives that will continue to shed light on our ecological heritage for generations to come.