 |
 |
Margaret Ursula Mee (1909-1988) Margaret Ursula Mee (1909-1988) Born in Chesham, Buckinghamshire, England, Margaret Mee studied at St Martin's School of Art and later at Camberwell School of Art in London where she was influenced by the artist Victor Pasmore. She was awarded a National Diploma in painting and design in 1950. In 1952 she went to live in Brazil with her husband Greville, a commercial artist, where she proceeded to teach art at St. Paul's, the British school in Sao Paulo. In 1956 Mee made her first journey to the Amazon forest. Over the next 30 years she made 15 such expeditions. Her usual mode of travel was by dugout canoe, with a local guide, camping out alone or with help of local people or missionaries for several months at a time. She recorded her observations of plant life in paintings and diaries. She became very concerned about the conservation of the Amazon forests and through her art she became an advocate for preserving these biologically diverse areas. Mee exhibited at the Instituto de Botanica and, as a result, became employed there. Her work also featured in a 150th anniversary exhibition at the Jardim Botanico in Rio de Janeiro during 1959. In 1960, the Royal Horticultural Society awarded her its prestigious Grenfell Gold Medal for her exhibited artwork. Margaret Mee's first work reproducing her drawing of Amazonian plants was the folio Flowers of the Brazilian Forests (1968). Drawings of Bromeliaceae that Mee had originally prepared for the Flora Brasilica were published in The Bromeliads (1969), text by L. B. Smith. It was the popular book, Margaret Mee: In Search of Flowers of the Amazon Forest (1988) however that brought her great public attention. Mee was made a Fellow of the Linnean Society in 1986 in recognition of her outstanding work.
This colourful drawing of the plant BROMELIACEAE Bromelia anticantha is a good example of Margaret Mee's work. She conveys scientific detail, presented in a visually attractive composition.
Bromeliads are a diverse family of plants (Bromeliaceae) found in the tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. The best known bromeliad is the pineapple.
The Margaret Mee Drawings Collection This is the only drawing by Margaret Mee held at the Natural History Museum. Other examples of her work are held in the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation in Pittsburgh, USA.
Exhibition and publication details This particular drawing has not been on public display. From 23 April until 25 July 2004, the LuEsther T. Mertz Library at the New York Botanical Garden will have on display the international travelling exhibition: The flowering Amazon: Margaret Mee paintings from The Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew.
References and further reading Mee, M. (1968) Flowers of the Brazilian forests [A
limited edition work depicting 32 of Mee's works in full colour.]
The Tryon Gallery: London [76pp.] Mee, M. (1988) Margaret Mee: In Search of Flowers of the Amazons forest: Diaries of an English Artist Reveal the Beauty of the Vanishing Rainforest. Nonesuch Expeditions: Woodbridge, Suffolk. 303pp. Mee, M. (1988) Margaret Mee's Amazon: Paintings of Plants from Brazilian Amazonia. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: London. 56pp. Smith, L. B. (1969) The Bromeliads. A. S. Barnes & Co: New York; Thomas Yoseloff: London. 54pp. Stiff, R. (1988) Margaret Mee: Return to the Amazon. Stationery Office: London. 201pp. Tryon, A. D. (1968) Flower Artists of the World, 21st
May - 15th June, 1968. |
|
|
 |
