Foliage and Fruit of Sterculia parviflora 1870

Marianne North painted 'Foliage and Fruit of Sterculia parviflora' during her travels in the late 19th century, a period when European exploration and scientific documentation of the natural world were intensifying. North was unusual for her time, a woman travelling independently to remote locations to paint botanical subjects. This image, like her others, has a dual identity, straddling art and science. On the one hand, it possesses an aesthetic quality, seen in the arrangement of leaves and fruit against the landscape, demonstrating her artistic skill. But these paintings served as records. Painted during the height of British Imperialism, one might consider whether, and how, North's work supported colonial projects by visually cataloging the resources of colonized lands. We might also research the history of institutions, like Kew Gardens, with which North was associated, to better understand the social and political contexts that shaped her artistic production. Ultimately, art like this reminds us that meaning is always contingent on social and institutional forces.