This episode Megan & Milena cover Victorian English flower painter and botanist Marianne North and 20th century African American ophthalmologist, inventor, educator and pioneer Dr. Patricia Bath

Marianne North

Marianne looking bored, she’s got international travel to plan

In case you didn’t know, flowers are for women. For a respectable Victorian Lady, flower painting was a very respectable hobby. What was not expected, is international voyages – lasting years at a time, all in order for said respectable Victorian Lady to paint the flowers, on location.

In the case of Marianne North, that meant traveling from 19th century England to paint in California, Chile, Burma, Java, New Zealand, Jamaica, and more – traveling to over 20 countries in total. From these travels Marianne documented a wide range of flora in over a thousand paintings. This episode we explore how her family wealth and connections facilitated this, and how with enough commitment – and money – she became a unconventional painter and botanist of the time.  

The Marianne North Gallery at the Kew Gardens. Marianne paid for and designed this space to house hundreds of her paintings for public view

Selected Paintings

Selecting a few of Marianne’s work was tough – she was a very prolific artist. Below are just a few of the hundreds, more of which can be seen HERE

One of my favorite paintings – this one of a Chilean cactus in flower

These are carnivorous pitcher plants found in Java and were named after Marianne

In additions to painting plants Marianne would incorporate the wildlife around them, like these Urania moths by these angraecum in Madagascar

This is a 1880 painting of a coral tree – Marianne blended art and science in painting a entire landscape in addition to the plant subject matter

This painting is of the Otira Gorge in New Zealand. Marianne traveled there on the encouragement of family friend Charles Darwin. YEAH, just ol’ pal CHARLES DARWIN

Marianne was also such a badass she received special permission from the Emperor of fucking Japan to paint in Kyoto – which at the time was off limits to foreigners. Above is the Temple over the Great Bell of Chion-in

* Red Dwarf – Amazing British scifi/comedy sitcom about a group of misfits alone in space, originally airing in 1988. Watch it or be a smeghead* Maria Sibylla Merian – 17th Century scientific illustrator and entomologist who we cover in episode 8* Hastings, England – Coastal southwest English town where Marianne grew up * Sir William Hooker – Family friend and first director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, now the Kew Gardens *