Botanical Art Offers a Glimpse of Brazil’s Magical Flora
As the Olympics in Brazil kick off, an exhibit at London’s Kew Gardens showcases the diverse plant life of the South American nation
Annie Thornton
August 5, 2016
Houzz Editorial Staff
Paintings now on show at London’s Kew Gardens reveal the exceptional beauty of Brazil’s native flora, one of the most diverse in the world. The exhibit features works by early Amazon explorers and Brazilian artists, and highlights botanical artist Margaret Mee, an Englishwoman who spent decades in Brazil and used her paintings as tools to encourage conservation. Her work influenced many of the contemporary artists included in the exhibit.
Curated by Shirley Sherwood, a collector of botanical illustrations and an author on the topic, the exhibition is displayed in her namesake gallery, the world’s first public gallery dedicated to botanical art.
Exhibition: Brazil: A Powerhouse of Plants
Where: Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Kew Gardens, London
When: Through Aug. 29, 2016
More info
Curated by Shirley Sherwood, a collector of botanical illustrations and an author on the topic, the exhibition is displayed in her namesake gallery, the world’s first public gallery dedicated to botanical art.
Exhibition: Brazil: A Powerhouse of Plants
Where: Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Kew Gardens, London
When: Through Aug. 29, 2016
More info
Margaret Mee painted this portrait of a cannonball tree in Belém, Brazil, in December 1956 using pencil and gouache on paper. It was her first painting from the Amazon rainforest.
The cannonball tree (Couroupita guianensis) — named for its fruit, which resembles cannonballs in size and shape — is a rainforest native that’s also prized for its abundant large and fragrant flowers.
Mee was born in England in 1909 and moved to Brazil in the 1950s to paint its diverse flora and teach English. She spent more than 30 years in the country, during which time she completed 15 expeditions to the Amazon and Atlantic rainforests. Not only did she paint the flora, but she also collected specimens to study and propagate — nine of which are now named after her.
Since many of the featured plants are rare or endangered, these paintings have also been used as tools of activism, a legacy that started with Mee. “Margaret Mee was an important painter and explorer who alerted the world to the dangers of exploiting the Amazon,” Sherwood says. “She also became an icon for botanical artists worldwide, as she painted specimens in the wild and used her paintings as political tools to encourage conservation.”
In some cases, the artists went to great lengths to capture these plants in their natural environment, living in the Amazon for months at a time or painting flowers from high up in tree canopies.
The cannonball tree (Couroupita guianensis) — named for its fruit, which resembles cannonballs in size and shape — is a rainforest native that’s also prized for its abundant large and fragrant flowers.
Mee was born in England in 1909 and moved to Brazil in the 1950s to paint its diverse flora and teach English. She spent more than 30 years in the country, during which time she completed 15 expeditions to the Amazon and Atlantic rainforests. Not only did she paint the flora, but she also collected specimens to study and propagate — nine of which are now named after her.
Since many of the featured plants are rare or endangered, these paintings have also been used as tools of activism, a legacy that started with Mee. “Margaret Mee was an important painter and explorer who alerted the world to the dangers of exploiting the Amazon,” Sherwood says. “She also became an icon for botanical artists worldwide, as she painted specimens in the wild and used her paintings as political tools to encourage conservation.”
In some cases, the artists went to great lengths to capture these plants in their natural environment, living in the Amazon for months at a time or painting flowers from high up in tree canopies.
Mee’s painting of a dotleaf waterlily (Nymphaea ampla var. pulchella) was made with pencil and gouache on paper in July 1957.
Mee used watercolor for her sketches in the wild. She would then bring these sketches back to São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, where she would paint larger portraits in more opaque gouache. “Her sketches have a much admired freshness, and she was later able to paint much larger works in the relative calm of her studio,” Sherwood says.
Mee used watercolor for her sketches in the wild. She would then bring these sketches back to São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, where she would paint larger portraits in more opaque gouache. “Her sketches have a much admired freshness, and she was later able to paint much larger works in the relative calm of her studio,” Sherwood says.
Mee made this painting of a philodendron with pencil and gouache on paper.
Later in her career, Mee began including backdrops with the plant’s portrait, as she did with this philodendron. “Her paintings, particularly the ones showing their background and relationship to other plants, encouraged people to consider the whole environment, as well as the single flowering tree,” Sherwood says.
Later in her career, Mee began including backdrops with the plant’s portrait, as she did with this philodendron. “Her paintings, particularly the ones showing their background and relationship to other plants, encouraged people to consider the whole environment, as well as the single flowering tree,” Sherwood says.
This Clusia grandiflora flower stem, painted by Mee in October 1987, was done with pencil and gouache on paper.
Clusia grandiflora is an evergreen climbing plant or small tree that often starts life as an epiphyte, an air plant that usually grows on another plant for support, before sending its own roots down in the soil. It may eventually kill its host plant.
Clusia grandiflora is an evergreen climbing plant or small tree that often starts life as an epiphyte, an air plant that usually grows on another plant for support, before sending its own roots down in the soil. It may eventually kill its host plant.
Mee painted this Neoregelia concentrica with pencil and gouache on paper.
Neoregelia concentrica, found growing on trees in the rainforests of Brazil, is an epiphytic bromeliad whose center leaves sometimes turn entirely purple.
Neoregelia concentrica, found growing on trees in the rainforests of Brazil, is an epiphytic bromeliad whose center leaves sometimes turn entirely purple.
Etienne Demonte painted this Billbergia sanderiana with gouache and watercolor on paper.
Billbergia is another Brazilian native that, like most epiphytic bromeliads, naturally grows in trees. This genus is known for its drooping flower clusters with large colorful bracts. B. sanderiana has stiff, spiny leaves with a white line down their centers.
The Demonte family are rainforest conservationists from Brazil, and well-known artists of plants and animals. The art of four Demontes are featured in this exhibit. Etienne (1931-2004) is most noted for his inclusion of pollinators, such as this white-chinned sapphire hummingbird (Hylocharis cyanus).
Billbergia is another Brazilian native that, like most epiphytic bromeliads, naturally grows in trees. This genus is known for its drooping flower clusters with large colorful bracts. B. sanderiana has stiff, spiny leaves with a white line down their centers.
The Demonte family are rainforest conservationists from Brazil, and well-known artists of plants and animals. The art of four Demontes are featured in this exhibit. Etienne (1931-2004) is most noted for his inclusion of pollinators, such as this white-chinned sapphire hummingbird (Hylocharis cyanus).
Rosália Demonte painted this giant Dutchman’s pipe using watercolor and gouache on paper. She received the specimen for her painting from famed Brazilian plantsman and landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx.
Giant Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia gigantea) is noted for its vigorous twining vines and monstrous summer flowers — sometimes reaching 2 feet long — that resemble pipes. The flowers are described as having a potent fragrance (not in a good way) that lures flies to pollinate them.
Swallowtail butterflies often mistake these tropical natives for U.S. native Aristolochia species and lay their eggs on them, which do not survive. If you’re interested in growing these plants in the U.S., it’s best to plant a native like California Dutchman’s pipe (A. californica) or Dutchman’s pipe (A. macrophylla) instead.
Artist Rosália Demonte (1932-2009), Etienne’s sister, was also an accomplished painter. She focused much of her work on flowers and butterflies.
Giant Dutchman’s pipe (Aristolochia gigantea) is noted for its vigorous twining vines and monstrous summer flowers — sometimes reaching 2 feet long — that resemble pipes. The flowers are described as having a potent fragrance (not in a good way) that lures flies to pollinate them.
Swallowtail butterflies often mistake these tropical natives for U.S. native Aristolochia species and lay their eggs on them, which do not survive. If you’re interested in growing these plants in the U.S., it’s best to plant a native like California Dutchman’s pipe (A. californica) or Dutchman’s pipe (A. macrophylla) instead.
Artist Rosália Demonte (1932-2009), Etienne’s sister, was also an accomplished painter. She focused much of her work on flowers and butterflies.
Rodrigo Demonte painted this watercolor of a false bird of paradise in 1998.
False bird of paradise (Heliconia rostrata) features vivid red-and-yellow flower bracts that hang from large green leaves. Native to Central and South America, these plants are quite popular for their showstopping flowers.
Artist Rodrigo Demonte is the son of Etienne. He was born in Niteroi, Brazil, in 1961.
False bird of paradise (Heliconia rostrata) features vivid red-and-yellow flower bracts that hang from large green leaves. Native to Central and South America, these plants are quite popular for their showstopping flowers.
Artist Rodrigo Demonte is the son of Etienne. He was born in Niteroi, Brazil, in 1961.
Katie Lee painted this Scuticaria steelei orchid using gouache on paper. She found the specimen in a flooded forest on the Rio Negro, an Amazon River tributary that runs from Colombia south to Brazil.
The epiphytic orchid Scuticaria steelei is native to parts of South America, including Brazil, and distinguished by its long tubular leaves and showy flowers.
Artist Katie Lee lives and works in the U.S. She was born in Kenya in 1942.
The epiphytic orchid Scuticaria steelei is native to parts of South America, including Brazil, and distinguished by its long tubular leaves and showy flowers.
Artist Katie Lee lives and works in the U.S. She was born in Kenya in 1942.
Alvaro Nunes painted these Attalea speciosa seeds.
Babassu palm grows in the Amazon rainforest. Its fronds are used for thatch, and its stems for wood. Its seeds grow in large clusters and produce babassua oil, which is used in food, health and beauty products.
Artist Alvaro Nunes, born in Anápolis, Brazil, in 1945, paints the Cerrado, the savanna of his homeland. Thousands of plant and animal species call the Cerrado home. It has been recognized by the World Wildlife Fund and the Nature Conservancy as the world’s most biologically rich savanna, with work being done to conserve its irreplaceable specimens.
Babassu palm grows in the Amazon rainforest. Its fronds are used for thatch, and its stems for wood. Its seeds grow in large clusters and produce babassua oil, which is used in food, health and beauty products.
Artist Alvaro Nunes, born in Anápolis, Brazil, in 1945, paints the Cerrado, the savanna of his homeland. Thousands of plant and animal species call the Cerrado home. It has been recognized by the World Wildlife Fund and the Nature Conservancy as the world’s most biologically rich savanna, with work being done to conserve its irreplaceable specimens.
Nunes painted this Bromelia antiacantha using watercolor on paper.
Brazilian native Bromelia antiacantha has long spiny leaves that fan out from its center. Each bloom spike contains many small flowers. The leaf color will vary depending on whether the plant is growing in sun or shade.
Brazilian native Bromelia antiacantha has long spiny leaves that fan out from its center. Each bloom spike contains many small flowers. The leaf color will vary depending on whether the plant is growing in sun or shade.
Patricia Villela painted this watercolor of Heliconia chartacea at the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Gardens.
Native to South America, including Brazil, Heliconia chartacea has waxy green foliage and trademark flowers that resemble lobster claws. It prefers the hot, humid climate of its Amazon origin.
In 1952, after attending the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Institute, artist Patricia Villela was taught by a number of people featured in this exhibit, including Malena Barretto, Etienne Demonte and Katie Lee. Villela was born in Rio de Janeiro.
Native to South America, including Brazil, Heliconia chartacea has waxy green foliage and trademark flowers that resemble lobster claws. It prefers the hot, humid climate of its Amazon origin.
In 1952, after attending the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Institute, artist Patricia Villela was taught by a number of people featured in this exhibit, including Malena Barretto, Etienne Demonte and Katie Lee. Villela was born in Rio de Janeiro.
This watercolor of Neoregelia cruenta was done by Villela.
Neoregelia cruenta is an epiphytic bromeliad native only to Brazil. Its central flower is considered insignificant, but its stunning mix of green, yellow and red foliage more than makes up for it.
Neoregelia cruenta is an epiphytic bromeliad native only to Brazil. Its central flower is considered insignificant, but its stunning mix of green, yellow and red foliage more than makes up for it.
Malena Barretto painted this watercolor of Neoregelia magdalenae in 1997.
Neoregelia magdalenae is another epiphytic bromeliad native only to Brazil. A flowering spike emerges from the water-collecting cup in its center.
Artist Malena Barretto, born in Rio de Janeiro in 1952, was the first Margaret Mee Artist Scholar at Kew Gardens, an honor awarded every year to a Brazilian botanical illustrator in memory of Mee’s contributions to the field. As part of the fellowship, Barretto studied at Kew Gardens for five months with Christabel King, Kew’s resident artist.
Neoregelia magdalenae is another epiphytic bromeliad native only to Brazil. A flowering spike emerges from the water-collecting cup in its center.
Artist Malena Barretto, born in Rio de Janeiro in 1952, was the first Margaret Mee Artist Scholar at Kew Gardens, an honor awarded every year to a Brazilian botanical illustrator in memory of Mee’s contributions to the field. As part of the fellowship, Barretto studied at Kew Gardens for five months with Christabel King, Kew’s resident artist.
Carolina de Bassi painted this Guzmania ‘Cherry’ with watercolor on paper.
Guzmania ‘Cherry’, a South American bromeliad, features a single flowering stalk. Popular as houseplants or outdoor plants in warmer regions, Guzmania species have long, smooth leaves that are glossy green. They’re epiphytes in their native habitat and grow well when mounted on wood or bark pieces.
Artist Carolina de Bassi, born in Curitiba, Brazil, in 1970, was also a Margaret Mee scholar at Kew Gardens and a student of Etienne Demonte’s.
Guzmania ‘Cherry’, a South American bromeliad, features a single flowering stalk. Popular as houseplants or outdoor plants in warmer regions, Guzmania species have long, smooth leaves that are glossy green. They’re epiphytes in their native habitat and grow well when mounted on wood or bark pieces.
Artist Carolina de Bassi, born in Curitiba, Brazil, in 1970, was also a Margaret Mee scholar at Kew Gardens and a student of Etienne Demonte’s.
This watercolor of Begonia coccinea ‘Pink’ was painted by Fátima Zagonel.
Begonia coccinea ‘Pink’ is a cane-type begonia that sports abundant clusters of pink flowers and speckled leaves. It’s endemic to the Atlantic Forest, which runs along Brazil’s east coast, and the Iguazú area, between Brazil and Argentina.
Artist Fátima Zagonel, born in Canoinhas, Brazil, in 1954, also studied as an artist scholar in the Margaret Mee Fellowship Program. She continues to pursue scientific illustration in Brazil.
More: Bromeliads: The Ultimate Collector’s Plants
Begonia coccinea ‘Pink’ is a cane-type begonia that sports abundant clusters of pink flowers and speckled leaves. It’s endemic to the Atlantic Forest, which runs along Brazil’s east coast, and the Iguazú area, between Brazil and Argentina.
Artist Fátima Zagonel, born in Canoinhas, Brazil, in 1954, also studied as an artist scholar in the Margaret Mee Fellowship Program. She continues to pursue scientific illustration in Brazil.
More: Bromeliads: The Ultimate Collector’s Plants
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I am trying to copy these flowers on my drawing paper. So exquisitely drawn!
Some of my favorite wall art pieces are botanical prints. Depending on the framing they can be used anywhere.