Artist: Marianne North (–1890)
Title: An Old Red Cedar on the Rocks near West Manchester, Massachusetts
Date: 1871
Dimensions: height: 35 cm (13.7 in)
Collection: Marianne North Gallery
What I love about this painting:
Marianne North gives us a sunny day and the portrait of a tree whose life was written in its twisted trunk and tangled branches. This tree has seen some stuff!
I can relate to that tree. This staunch old lady is perched on a promontory overlooking the sea, a perfect view of all the world. However, this tree has carved its living from a harsh environment.
Trees must grow where their seeds fall, and seed that sprouted this cedar fell into a tiny crack on the cliffs, finding just enough soil to nourish the seedling. No gentle forest loam for this hardy monarch; salty air and violent storms are her companions.
I love the sunny day and the strength of this tree. Marianne North is a new artist to me, and I will post some of her other paintings as I come across them.
About the artist, via Wikipedia:
Marianne North (24 October 1830 – 30 August 1890) was an English biologist and botanical artist, known for her plant and landscape paintings, her extensive foreign travels, her writings, her plant discoveries and the creation of her gallery at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
North trained as a vocalist under Charlotte Helen Sainton-Dolby, but her voice failed, and she then devoted herself to painting flowers. After the death of her mother in 1855, she constantly travelled with her father, who was then member of parliament for Hastings; and on his death in 1869 she decided to pursue her early ambition of painting the flora of distant countries.
The scientific accuracy with which she documented plant life in all parts of the world, before photography became a practical option, gives her work a permanent value. Plant species named in her honour include Areca northiana, Chassalia northiana, Crinum northianum, Kniphofia northiae, Nepenthes northiana, and the genus name Northia.
Kew Gardens claims that the North Gallery (situated in the east section of the gardens) is “the only permanent solo exhibition by a female artist in Britain”. In 2008 Kew obtained a substantial grant from the National Lottery, which enabled it to mount a major restoration of both the gallery and the paintings inside.
On 26 September 2016, the television channel BBC Four broadcast Kew’s Forgotten Queen. The documentary told the story of North’s life. [1]
For a great video biography of the artist, go to YouTube: The Remarkable Miss North
Credits and Attributions:
IMAGE: Wikimedia Commons contributors, “File:Marianne North (1830-1890) – An Old Red Cedar on the Rocks near West Manchester, Massachusetts – MN207 – Marianne North Gallery.jpg,” Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Marianne_North_(1830-1890)_-_An_Old_Red_Cedar_on_the_Rocks_near_West_Manchester,_Massachusetts_-_MN207_-_Marianne_North_Gallery.jpg&oldid=1030484784 (accessed January 15, 2026).
[1] Wikipedia contributors, “Marianne North,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Marianne_North&oldid=1330628765 (accessed January 15, 2026).
Life in the Realm of Fantasy 