Did you know that Beatrix Potter was initially interested in science, particularly mycology (the study of fungus and spores)? I didn't either. It stands to reason that Potter's accurate portrayal of the natural world stems from such a passion, many Victorians loved nature and were fascinated with the observations of botany and zoology. She not only was interested in mycology, she actually studied fungi under the microscope and proposed a theory on re-generation. She submitted a paper, "On the Germination of the Spores of the Agaricineae," to the Linnean Society in 1897. Because she was a woman she was not allowed to personally present her paper and she eventually withdrew it because she found that one of her samples was contaminated. Even so, her paper was not handled correctly and was probably destroyed. A few of her spore and fungi paintings have been donated to the Perth Museum and Art Gallery (Scotland) by Charles McIntosh, the scholar who initially helped Potter in her study of naturalism. The Linnean Society apologized to Potter (posthumously) for their mis handling of her research.
As a child, Beatrix Potter was well read in the classics such as "Aesop's Fables," The Pilgrim's Progress as well as Han's Christian Anderson's, Luis Carroll's, and Charles Kingsley's, stories. She began to illustrate her own version of stories including: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Little Red Riding hood (among others) but instead of using the traditional characters, she used her own pets and creatures she studied as models for the stories, thus setting in motion her unique style that is obvious in her original tales.
Beatrix Potter planned to buy Hill Top farm, in Lancashire (Cumbria) in the English Lake district, to be used as a holiday home with her future husband Norman Warne (her publisher), who sadly died before they could be married. Potter went ahead and bought Hill Top and eventually married William Heelis (a country lawyer) and bought up and managed 16 farms with property extending over 4,000 acres which she left to The National Trust after her death in 1943.
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At Hill Top
I wish I could thank Ms. Potter for her contributions to art, science and preservation. She is so apart of our culture, and for good reason. |
Beatrix Potter: Inspiration For All:
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These would make the perfect baby shower gift. Set of burp clothes on etsy.com
Easter:
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