This exhibition bridges the worlds of art, botany and conservation through paintings by Marianne North (1830-1890) and Margaret Mee (1909-1988) from the collections of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.



Nymphaea rudgeana 1978 Margaret Mee (1909-1988) Pencil and gouache on paper © The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Although North and Mee painted in different centuries, these two gifted artists, dedicated naturalists and intrepid explorers shared a love of adventure and nature which carried them far from their native England.

MARIANNE NORTH (1830-1890)
Marianne North was a remarkable Victorian artist who explored the world at a time when it was very unusual for women to travel alone. She had little formal training until, in 1867, the Australian artist Robert Dowling taught her how to use oils, a medium she favored the rest of her life. Her aim was to portray plants in their natural habitat, but she also painted landscapes, animals, birds and insects. Between 1871 and 1881, she explored the United States, Canada, Jamaica, Tenerife, Japan, Singapore, Sarawak, Java, Sri Lanka, India, Australia and New Zealand.

MARGARET MEE (1909-1988)
Margaret Mee is considered the premier female explorer of the Amazonian rain forest, but Amazonia was a world away from the life that Mee knew growing up in the English countryside.

Practical information

Mona Bismarck Foundation
34 avenue de New York, 75116 Paris
Tel: 01 47 23 38 88

Days and Opening Hours
Tuesday – Saturday, from 10:30am to 6:30pm (Closed holidays)
Metro: Alma-Marceau, Trocadéro Bus: 72 – 63 – 94

Entry free

For further information, you can visit the following website:Mona Bismarck Foundation