Women artists

Palliseden bonn, from Plate 11 Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium of de Verandering der Surinaamsche Insecten (1705) by Maria Sibylla Merian

There are more than 120 women artists represented in the Museum's Library and Archives. Spanning the last four centuries and covering all subject areas, many of their works have contributed greatly to our knowledge of the natural world.

While their prominence, influence and individual life stories may not have been studied or acknowledged to the same extent as their male counterparts, their work and contributions to the social, cultural and literary history of science and natural history remains significant.

Examples: fauna

Brown kiwi, Apteryx australis. Angela Gladwell (1945- ).
Tawny owl, Strix aluco. Sarah Stone (c1760-1844).
Brown hardback, Phyllophaga smithi. Olive Florence Tassart (unknown - 1953).
Horsefly, Philoliche angulate. Grace Edwards, active 1875-1926.
Lear’s macaw, Anodorhynchus leari. Elizabeth Butterworth (1949- ).
Sand-dusted cone, Conus arenatus, and hermit crab. Olga Makrushenko (1957- ).
Portuguese man-of-war, Physalia physalis. G W Dalby, active 1960s.

The women artists collection showcases an incredible variety of subjects, styles, and techniques. The artists represented in the collection range from professionally trained and skilled scientific illustrators such as Stella Ross-Craig, Sarah Bowdich, Margaret Stones and Grace Edwards, to serious but accomplished amateurs such as Elizabeth Twining and Margaret Meen.

Our most recent acquisitions include artworks by zoological artists Elizabeth Butterworth, Angela Gladwell and Rebecca Jewell, and modern botanical artists Norma Gregory, Jean Webb, Jessica Tcherepnine and Olga Makrushenko.

Examples: flora

Elephant-eared saxifrage, Bergenia cordifolia. Norma Gregory.
Garden peonies, Paeonia species. Clara Pope (c1768-1838).
Slime mould, Trichia affinis (after frost). Gulielma Lister (1860-1949).
Juniper, Juniperus communis. Beatrice Corfe (1866-1947).
Small tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae, and tulip, Tulipa species. Maria Sibella Merian (1647-1717).