The Richest Woman in the World
Sep. 14th, 2018 08:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smokingbootI always enjoy Kew; this time a friend was determined to investigate the Marianne North gallery. I didn't mind one way or another, in fact I must have passed the gallery dozens of times in my life without really paying attention, but artist chum was really eager, and there's only so often you can ooh and aah over gigantic lily pads; besides, noises about cakes, tea and wine were being made. I've gone on worse missions.
We got in via the Shirley Sherwood Florilegium, which was modern with well spaced light airy sketches, or water colours of bare backgrounds. It couldn't be more of a contrast to Marianne's gallery; the latter has no single iota of the muted or sparse about it with over 800 oil paintings packed side by side,row upon row. The effect is somehow jewelled, abundant, sensual without the heaviness of late Victoriana. Photos don't capture the charm of it.
One genus and four species were named after Marianne North. No husband, no babies, just her art, her sumptuous botanical visions. She was an inveterate traveller, often alone or dismissing her companions. Whimsy with her characteristic ability to point out the flaw in any situation, found a distinctly questionable line of kangaroos hopping away across the grass, but there's no such thing as a perfect genius; if Shakespeare can get away with 'bad revolting stars,' and Wordsworth's allowed to describe a pond with 'I've measured it from side to side, tis two feet long and three feet wide,' then we can definitely give Marianne's kangaroos a break.
The rest of the day passed in just wandering around in the sunshine, discussing septic tanks, the foibles of friends, and the neat way ayurvedic doshas divide between us, in theory at any rate. The Kapha's moving to the seaside, the Pitta's probably buying a place in Spain, and the Vata... Well, who knows what she wants. She can certainly understand wandering the world and committing it to art. To quote the world's richest woman, 'I am a very wild bird and like liberty.’
Thank you Marianne.
We got in via the Shirley Sherwood Florilegium, which was modern with well spaced light airy sketches, or water colours of bare backgrounds. It couldn't be more of a contrast to Marianne's gallery; the latter has no single iota of the muted or sparse about it with over 800 oil paintings packed side by side,row upon row. The effect is somehow jewelled, abundant, sensual without the heaviness of late Victoriana. Photos don't capture the charm of it.
One genus and four species were named after Marianne North. No husband, no babies, just her art, her sumptuous botanical visions. She was an inveterate traveller, often alone or dismissing her companions. Whimsy with her characteristic ability to point out the flaw in any situation, found a distinctly questionable line of kangaroos hopping away across the grass, but there's no such thing as a perfect genius; if Shakespeare can get away with 'bad revolting stars,' and Wordsworth's allowed to describe a pond with 'I've measured it from side to side, tis two feet long and three feet wide,' then we can definitely give Marianne's kangaroos a break.
The rest of the day passed in just wandering around in the sunshine, discussing septic tanks, the foibles of friends, and the neat way ayurvedic doshas divide between us, in theory at any rate. The Kapha's moving to the seaside, the Pitta's probably buying a place in Spain, and the Vata... Well, who knows what she wants. She can certainly understand wandering the world and committing it to art. To quote the world's richest woman, 'I am a very wild bird and like liberty.’
Thank you Marianne.
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