The Marianne North Gallery at Kew Gardens - Peter Emery

The Marianne North Gallery at
Kew Gardens

                       Peter Emery
                                     1

Who was Marianne North?

                          2

Marianne North painted this

                              3

And Marianne painted this

                            4

And this

           5

And this

           6

And this

           7

And this

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Marianne painted these

                         9

Marianne North was a very Intrepid artist who travelled the
World, mostly alone and who produced more than 800 paintings

                                                           10

But who was Marianne North?

                          11

Who was Marianne North?
• Marianne was born October 24th 1830, to Frederick
  North the MP for Hastings and Janet North, the
  widow of Robert Shuttleworth of Gawthorpe Hall,
  Lancashire

                                                      12

Who was Marianne North?
• Marianne was born October 24th 1830, to Frederick
  North the MP for Hastings and Janet North, the
  widow of Robert Shuttleworth of Gawthorpe Hall,
  Lancashire
• Janet North already had a daughter, also Janet, from
  her first marriage and a son, Charles was born to the
  North’s in 1828

                                                      13

Who was Marianne North?
• Marianne was born October 24th 1830, to Frederick
  North the MP for Hastings and Janet North, the
  widow of Robert Shuttleworth of Gawthorpe Hall,
  Lancashire
• Janet North already had a daughter, also Janet, from
  her first marriage and a son, Charles was born to the
  North’s in 1828
• As she grew up Marianne divided her time between
  the North properties in Hastings and Rougham,
  Norfolk and Gawthorpe Hall in Lancashire

                                                      14

Who was Marianne North?
• Marianne learned to Paint and to sing, correct
  pastimes for a Victorian girl of her social class

                                                  15

Marianne North a normal Victorian?
• Marianne learned to Paint and to sing, correct
  pastimes for a Victorian girl of her social class
• Marianne was trained as an artist by Miss Van
  Fowinkel and by Valentine Bartholomew, both
  Queen Victoria’s flower painters

                                                  16

Marianne North a normal Victorian?
• Marianne learned to Paint and to sing, correct
  pastimes for a Victorian girl of her social class
• Marianne was trained as an artist by Miss Van
  Fowinkel and by Valentine Bartholomew, both
  Queen Victoria’s flower painters
• Marianne was devoted to her Father but her
  mother only accounts for one paragraph in
  Marianne’s three volume autobiography

                                                  17

When did she begin her travels?
• In 1847 the North family undertook a three year tour
  of Europe ending with six months in Brussels

                                                     18

When did she begin her travels?
• In 1847 the North family undertook a three year tour
  of Europe ending with six months in Brussels
• Marianne’s mother Janet died in 1855 and Marianne
  became housekeeper to her Father in his London flat,
  as she had promised her Mother she would

                                                    19

When did she begin her travels?
• In 1847 the North family undertook a three year tour
  of Europe ending with six months in Brussels
• Marianne’s mother Janet died in 1855 and Marianne
  became housekeeper to her Father in his London flat,
  as she had promised her Mother she would
• Marianne and her Father made a number of travels
  together as far afield as Turkey & Egypt

                                                    20

When did she begin her travels?
• In 1847 the North family undertook a three year tour
  of Europe ending with six months in Brussels
• Marianne’s mother Janet died in 1855 and Marianne
  became housekeeper to her Father in his London flat,
  as she had promised her Mother she would
• Marianne and her Father made a number of travels
  together as far afield as Turkey & Egypt
• These journeys came to an end with the death of her
  father in 1869 - Marianne was devastated

                                                    21

Travel alone
• After grieving for two years Marianne began
  her solo journeys in 1871 at the age of 41

                                                22

Travel alone
• After grieving for two years Marianne began
  her solo journeys in 1871 at the age of 41
• Marianne sold Hastings Lodge to fund her
  travels and took the London flat, her half
  sister Janet continued to live at Gawthorpe
  Hall and Charles was given the Norfolk House

                                                 23

Travel alone
• After grieving for two years Marianne began
  her solo journeys in 1871 at the age of 41
• Marianne sold Hastings Lodge to fund her
  travels and took the London flat, her half
  sister Janet continued to live at Gawthorpe
  Hall and Charles was given the Norfolk House
• On her first journey Marianne took her maid
  along as company – this was not repeated and
  after this Marianne travelled alone

                                             24

Where did she go?
• 1871 to 1872 she visited Canada, North America, Jamaica and
  Brazil

                                                            25

Where did she go?
• 1871 to 1872 she visited Canada, North America, Jamaica and
  Brazil
• In 1833 to 1877 she visited California, then Japan, Borneo,
  Java, Ceylon

                                                            26

Where did she go?
• 1871 to 1872 she visited Canada, North America, Jamaica and
  Brazil
• In 1833 to 1877 she visited California, then Japan, Borneo,
  Java, Ceylon

• 1878 to 1879 Marianne undertook an extensive tour of India

                                                               27

Where did she go?
• 1871 to 1872 she visited Canada, North America, Jamaica and
  Brazil
• In 1833 to 1877 she visited California, then Japan, Borneo,
  Java, Ceylon
• 1878 to 1879 Marianne undertook an extensive tour of India
• In 1880, after a meeting with Charles Darwin, Marianne
  visited Australia, New Zealand and Borneo returning in 1881
  via California

                                                            28

Where did she go?
• 1871 to 1872 she visited Canada, North America, Jamaica and
  Brazil
• In 1833 to 1877 she visited California, then Japan, Borneo,
  Java, Ceylon
• 1878 to 1879 Marianne undertook an extensive tour of India
• In 1880, after a meeting with Charles Darwin, Marianne
  visited Australia, New Zealand and Borneo returning in 1881
  via California
• In 1882 to 1883 she visited South Africa and the Seychelles

                                                            29

Where did she go?
• 1871 to 1872 she visited Canada, North America, Jamaica and
  Brazil
• In 1833 to 1877 she visited California, then Japan, Borneo,
  Java, Ceylon
• 1878 to 1879 an extensive tour of India
• In 1880, after a meeting with Charles Darwin, Marianne
  visited Australia, New Zealand and Borneo returning in 1881
  via California
• In 1882 to 1883 she visited South Africa and the Seychelles
• Finally in 1884 and 1885 Marianne was in Chile to paint the
  Monkey Puzzle tree

                                                            30

The Gallery Decision
• After her trip to India Marianne began to find
  it tedious to give private viewings of her
  pictures from India to friends and dignitaries

                                                   31

The Gallery Decision
• After her trip to India Marianne began to find
  it tedious to give private viewings of her
  pictures from India to friends and dignitaries
• Marianne rented a gallery in Conduit Street,
  London for two months to exhibit her
  paintings publicly

                                                   32

The Gallery Decision
• After her trip to India Marianne began to find
  it tedious to give private viewings of her
  pictures from India to friends and dignitaries
• Marianne rented a gallery in Conduit Street,
  London for two months to exhibit her
  paintings publicly
• The Pall Mall Gazette, reviewing the exhibition
  suggested that these, and the rest of her
  paintings, should reside at Kew gardens
                                                33

The decision is made
• Marianne decided that she would fund a
  gallery to house her paintings

                                           34

Where and how?
• Having made the decision to fund a gallery for
  her work Marianne began to use her circle of
  friends to make it happen

                                               35

Where and how?
• Having made the decision to fund a gallery for
  her work Marianne began to use her circle of
  friends to make it happen
• Marianne wrote to Sir Joseph Hooker, Director
  of Kew in August 1879 suggesting that she
  build a gallery at Kew and donate her
  paintings to the country

                                               36

Where and how?
Marianne wrote to Sir Joseph Hooker, Director of Kew
in August 1879 suggesting that she build a gallery at
Kew and donate her paintings to the country

                                                        37

Where and how?
• Having made the decision to fund a gallery for
  her work Marianne began to use her circle of
  friends to make it happen
• Marianne wrote to Sir Joseph Hooker, Director
  of Kew in August 1879 suggesting that she
  build a gallery at Kew and donate her
  paintings to the country
• After a short pause Sir Joseph agreed and
  selected a suitable site

                                               38

Choosing an architect
          • Marianne asked a
            close family friend,
            James Fergusson
            FRS, to design and
            manage the build of
            her gallery

                                   39

Choosing an architect
• Marianne asked a close family friend, James
  Fergusson, to design and manage the build of
  her gallery
• Fergusson was a self made man, rich from ten
  years as an Indigo planter in Bengal

                                             40

Choosing an architect
• Marianne asked a close family friend, James
  Fergusson, to design and manage the build of
  her gallery
• Fergusson was a self made man, rich from ten
  years as an Indigo planter in Bengal
• A specialist on Indian architecture, writer of
  standard works on architecture and winner of
  a Gold award from the Royal Society

                                                   41

The Gallery design
• Despite using a famous architect Marianne
  was determined to have the gallery as she
  wanted it

                                              42

The Gallery design
• Despite using a famous architect Marianne
  was determined to have the gallery as she
  wanted it
• She asked for and got an arcade around the
  side and a classical style

                                               43

The Gallery design
• Despite using a famous architect Marianne
  was determined to have the gallery as she
  wanted it
• She asked for and got an arcade around the
  side and a classical style
• Fergusson’s own ideas of lighting resulted in
  the clerestory design based on the lighting
  used in Greek Temples

                                                  44

The Gallery design
• Despite using a famous architect Marianne was
  determined to have the gallery as she wanted it
• She asked for and got an arcade around the side
  and a classical style
• Fergusson’s own ideas of lighting resulted in the
  clerestory design based on the lighting used in
  Greek Temples
• Marianne wanted refreshments for the ladies, Sir
  James refused
                                                  45

The Gallery design

                     46

The interior design
• Marianne designed the hang of her paintings, taking
  almost a year to finalise it

                                                        47

The interior design
• Marianne designed the hang of her paintings, taking
  almost a year to finalise it
• Marianne painted the doorway surrounds showing
  plants from the different hemispheres

                                                        48

The interior design
• Marianne designed the hang of her paintings, taking
  almost a year to finalise it
• Marianne painted the doorway surrounds showing
  the plants from different hemispheres
• Having been thwarted by Sir James Hooker on
  offering tea and coffee to visitors Marianne painted
  tea plants over one doorway, coffee plants over the
  other

                                                         49

The interior design
• Marianne designed the hang of her paintings, taking
  almost a year to finalise it
• Marianne painted the doorway surrounds showing the
  plants from different hemispheres
• Having been thwarted by Sir James Hooker on offering
  tea and coffee to visitors Marianne painted tea plants
  over one doorway, coffee plants over the other
• The lower walls were ‘planked’ with over 260 slices of
  trees, each identified, from her travels around the world.

                                                           50

The reception to the gallery
• Opened in June 1882, the gallery had an excellent
  press with reports appearing as far away as New
  York (Times) and Chicago (Tribune)
• The gallery was refurbished in 2008/2009 and the
  833 paintings were restored and conserved, the
  hang remains almost exactly as Marianne had
  designed it
• The gallery remains the only permanent solo
  exhibition by a female artist in Britain and one of
  the largest ‘one man’ (!) exhibitions in the world
                                                    51

The gallery today
• The gallery remains the only permanent solo exhibition by a female artist
  in Britain and one of the largest ‘one man’ (!) exhibitions in the world

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The gallery today

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The gallery today

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The gallery today

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The gallery today

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The gallery today

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Botanical painting at Kew
The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art is the first
gallery in the world dedicated solely to botanical art. It is
attached to the Marianne North gallery

                                                                58

The Marianne North Gallery at
Kew Gardens

Thank you for listening - Any Questions?

                                      Peter Emery
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