Mary Lawrance Kearse (21 May 1781[2] – 27 March 1845) was a British botanical illustrator who specialized in flowers. She also taught botanical illustration.[3] She charged half a guinea for her lessons.[4] She is best known for producing the earliest published work on roses.[5]
Mary Lawrance | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 May 1781[1] Holborn, Middlesex, England |
| Died | 27 March 1845 (aged 63) Portland Place, London |
| Nationality | British |
| Notable work | The Various Kinds of Roses Cultivated in England |
| Style | Botanical illustration |
Lawrance was born at the British Lying-In Hospital in Holborn, London, to Mary and William Lawrance, a tailor.[1]
Her first known exhibition was at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1795. Between 1796 and 1799 she created and published The Various Kinds of Roses Cultivated in England.[6] The book featured paintings of roses that Lawrance drew from nature. She also engraved and hand coloured the plates of the book and undertook the printing and publishing of the volume.[5] In 1814, she married Thomas Kearse in Marylebone,[7] continuing to work under her married name Mrs Kearse.[6] She exhibited work until 1830.[8] Her work is held in the collection of the New York Public Library,[9] the Auckland Libraries Heritage Collection,[10] and the Cleveland Museum of Art.[11]
She died at her home at 48 Foley Street, Portland Place, Marylebone, in 1845.[12]
Works by Mary Lawrance edit
The standard author abbreviation Lawrance is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.[13]
- A Collection of Roses from Nature, 1799[3]
A Collection of Roses from Nature consists of 90 etched, hand-colored plates that were created between July 1796 and February 1799.[14] This work was dedicated to Queen Charlotte.[15] It was donated by the Mackelvie Trust to Auckland Libraries in November of 2014.[14]
- Sketches of Flowers from Nature, 1801[3]
Sketches of Flowers from Nature consists of 11 hand-etched, stippled, and colored plates created between 1800-1801.[16]
- A Collection of Passion Flowers Coloured from Nature, 1802[3]
A Collection of Passion Flowers consists of 18 hand-colored, hand-engraved plates created between 1799-1802.[4] A prospectus from May 1, 1799 indicates that the creation of 30 plates was originally planned, although only 18 were ever published.[4]
References edit
- ^ a b England & Wales, Non-Conformist and Non-Parochial Registers, 1567-1936
- ^ Kearse, Mary. Foley Road, Marylebone. Occupation: Artist in 1841 England Census
- ^ a b c d e "Lester, Francis Edward. My Friend the Rose. With Sixteen Illustrations Reproduced from Paintings by Mary Lawrance, First Printed 1799. Harrisburg, Pa., J. Horace McFarland Company, 1942". Women and Botany in 18th and Early 19th-Century England. Michigan State University. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ a b c "Mary Lawrance (fl.1794-1830)". Christie's. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ a b Marsh, David (13 April 2019). "A Maiden's Blush: the first book of Roses". The Garden Trust. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ a b Auckland Libraries research centre and heritage collection (16 January 2017). "A collection of roses from nature, 1796-1799 / Mary Lawrance". heritageetal.blogspot.com. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754–1938
- ^
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Lawrance, Mary". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
- ^ "Mrs. Lawrance's Beautiful Roses". Treasures. New York Public Library. Archived from the original on 5 July 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ "A collection of roses from nature". kura.aucklandlibraries.govt.nz. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ "A Collection of Roses from Nature: Dark China Rose". Cleveland Museum of Art. 31 October 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ "Died". London Morning Herald. 1 April 1845. p. 7. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
- ^ International Plant Names Index. Lawrance.
- ^ a b "A collection of roses from nature". Auckland Council Libraries. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ "Mary Lawrance Kearse (British, FL. 1794–1830), Pyrus Japonica [Japanese Quince]". Arader Galleries. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- ^ "LAWRANCE, MARY. Sketches of Flowers from Nature". Christie's. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
