About Bessie Marshall
Botanical illustrator Bessie Niemeyer Marshall (December 25, 1884–February 14, 1960) was a mother of nine with little free time and no formal training in painting. Nevertheless, she undertook the WPA commission to paint watercolors of the Sanctuary’s herbarium.
The idea of producing botanical art as a reference tool for the community was in keeping with the philosophy of “art for the millions” advocated by the WPA’s Federal Art Project, which started in 1935 and aimed to democratize the visual arts.
Marshall’s keen observation and love of plants (she was an ardent gardener), more than compensated for the lack of formal schooling in art. She painted from live specimens, some of which she collected herself.
Informing her lovely watercolors was her genuine affection for wildflowers. In a newspaper interview she compared ephemeral flowers to fairies: “You come upon one in the woods one day and you go back later to paint it and it has vanished.”
Her approach to botanical illustration was both traditional and deeply personal. Botanical art demands accuracy and attention to details that would help people identify a plant. Many of her paintings are close to life-size, rendered in light wash, and contain near-microscopic details. On occasion she would add an earthy charm to her watercolors by including a plant’s imperfections or depicting it in subsequent stages of bud, bloom, and fruit.
The result is the marvelous collection of 238 watercolors owned, a selection of which are displayed here, that impress with attention to detail, rare delicacy, and insightful rendition.