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Purchase Oil Painting Replica Celmisia incana (White mountain musk or Woolly mountain daisy); Celmisia coriacea (Silvery cotton..., 1885 by Sarah Ann Featon (Inspired By) | ArtsDot.com

Celmisia incana (White mountain musk or Woolly mountain daisy); Celmisia coriacea (Silvery cotton...



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In 1889 Sarah Featon and her husband Edward Featon published The Art Album of New Zealand Flora, in which they sought to dispute the ‘mistaken notion that New Zealand is peculiarly destitute of native flowers’. While the title emphasises the artistic nature of their enterprise, in the preface they describe the choice they made between selecting a handful of the ‘best and most showy representatives of indigenous flowers’ and publishing them in a ‘haphazard manner, with just a soupcon of descriptive matter to serve as a garnish’ or to ‘accept the responsibility of putting forth a publication of a popular character based on scientific and systematic principles’. They chose the latter path, ensuring that the album had both popular appeal while being firmly grounded in solid science. This was achieved both through Sarah’s illustrations and Edward’s lively text. Based in Gisborne, Sarah’s drawings were made from specimens sourced far and wide (many of which were collected by women who were acknowledged in the final text). Their project was supported by prominent early settler and expert on botany, William Colenso as well as Thomas Kirk. The accompanying text drew on Hooker’s Flora for the botanical classification, accentuated by Edward’s enthusiastic and occasionally verbose information about potential uses of the plant (or its wood) as well as indigenous knowledge. For example, in the description of the Pohutukawa, he writes ‘the juice of the inner bark is said to possess a medicinal virtue, and the Maoris are accustomed to use it to allay inflammation’. The general nature of the Art Album appealed to reviewers and the public alike, and the publication was deemed likely to be a ‘most valuable acquisition to any art collection, library, or drawing room’. It was praised as a ‘great colonial work of art’. One reviewer expressed ‘surprise that such an artistic, correct, and beautiful work should have been wholly produced in New Zealand’. Indeed, it was so prized that a copy, enclosed in a casket of New Zealand wood, was gifted to Queen Victoria for her Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The Featons collaborated with the Wellington firm Bock & Cousins to publish the first fully coloured art book in New Zealand, using the relatively new medium of chromolithography, which almost bankrupted the firm. The transition from watercolour to colour lithograph involved compromise, and the result in many of Featon’s works is an occasionally garish rendering of her exquisite watercolours. 134 of Sarah Featon’s original watercolours for the Art Album of New Zealand Flora were purchased for the Dominion Museum in 1919. At that time, Featon was widowed and desperately short of funds. The £150 she was eventually reimbursed for her collection likely only went a short way to ease the future finances of her family. The Art Album comprised 40 colour plates, including a magnificent frontispiece. An intended second volume was never published. Dr Rebecca Rice, March 2019 References: Edward and Sarah Featon, Art Album of New Zealand Flora, Wellington: Bock and Cousins, 1888. Bee Dawson, Lady painters: the flower painters of early New Zealand, Auckland: Penguin Books, 1999. Newspaper reviews: ‘Art Album of New Zealand Flora’, Otago Daily Times, supplement, 18 February 1890, p. 2. New Zealand Times, 7 December 1887, p. 4 ‘Art album of New Zealand flora’, The Observer, 18 May 1889, p. 4.
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Sarah Ann Featon

Sarah Ann Featon (née Porter, c. 1848 – 28 April 1887) was a botanical artist from New Zealand. She is best known for her watercolor paintings of native flora, which she and her husband Edward Featon published in The Art Album of New Zealand Flora in 1889.

Early Life and Career

Sarah Ann Featon was born in England and moved to New Zealand with her husband in 1879. She became fascinated with the unique plant life found in her new home country and decided to create an art album showcasing the beauty of New Zealand's indigenous flowers. Her paintings are characterized by their intricate details and vibrant colors, making them a valuable resource for botanists and art enthusiasts alike.

Notable Paintings

Some of Sarah Ann Featon's most notable paintings include Pohutukawa - Metrosideros Tomentosa, Puawananga - Clematis indivisa, and Myosotis species (5) Forget-me-not. These paintings are excellent examples of her skill in capturing the natural beauty of New Zealand flora. They can be found on WahooArt, along with other works by Sarah Ann Featon.

Museums and Collections

The Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand in Wellington houses many of Sarah Ann Featon's paintings, including Pohutukawa - Metrosideros Tomentosa and Puawananga - Clematis indivisa. The museum's collection is a valuable resource for those interested in New Zealand art and flora. Other notable museums featuring Sarah Ann Featon's work include the Christchurch Art Gallery, which can be found on WahooArt.
  • Watercolor paintings of native flora are a key part of Sarah Ann Featon's work. Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand houses many of her notable works. Sarah Ann Featon's art album, The Art Album of New Zealand Flora, was published in 1889.

Conclusion

Sarah Ann Featon is a notable artist who has made significant contributions to the world of botanical art. Her watercolor paintings of native flora are a valuable resource for botanists and art enthusiasts alike. Through her work, she has helped to challenge the misconception that New Zealand lacks beautiful flowers. Her legacy continues to be celebrated through her paintings, which can be found on WahooArt and in museums such as the Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand.

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