Flor de Pascua or Easter Flower, at Morro Velho, Brazil 1873

Marianne North painted this oil on paper titled Flor de Pascua, or Easter Flower, at Morro Velho, Brazil. North was an English Victorian biologist and botanical artist, who traveled the world making paintings of plants. This image is of a poinsettia, a plant native to Mexico and Central America. In the Victorian era, new information about the world was being gathered at a rapid pace. North’s work was both scientific and artistic. Her style is realistic with a focus on detail. It is also important to consider the politics of botanical art. The Victorian period was one of great colonial expansion. As such, images of plants from other lands brought new knowledge and reinforced the dominance of the British Empire. A painting like this could fuel a kind of mania for new species in the plant collecting world. By researching the cultural and political history, as well as the natural history of the subject, we can gain a richer understanding of North’s work.