Marianne North - Victorian lady traveller who painted Pera

Should you ever visit the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, on the outskirts of London, make sure to take in one of the lesser-known attractions there, the Marianne North Gallery. Situated on one of the main walkways a few hundred metres to the left of the Victoria Gate entrance, the Gallery lies comfortably between what is known as the Ruined Arch and an immense flagpole, a relic of empire, flying what else but the Union Jack.

Walk up the steps and through the imposing double doors and you will find yourself in a large, ornate and high-ceilinged hall. What hits the eye with immediate impact is the fact that every scrap of wall space below the elevated windows is covered with a colourful mosaic of hundreds of paintings devoted to botanical subjects and views incorporating flora. On closer examination, it will be found that the paintings are representative of temperate, sub-tropical and tropical regions. In fact, there are over 800 of them featuring a score of countries.

The person who executed these paintings was the Marianne North of the Gallery name. North was one of the most exceptional women of the Victorian era. As if her tremendous contribution to botanical study was not enough, the travels North had to make in order to execute her paintings were extensive and in some instances, pioneering. In addition, therefore, she also belongs to a small band of Englishwomen who, when the movement for women’s emancipation was gathering momentum, became known for their journeys around the world.

Read More on this