"And wander and wonder at everything."
In college, when I began to study of natural history, I was disappointed, yet not surprised to discover that there was little to no information about female naturalists. This was the early days of computers in libraries, so instead of delving into the c prompt driven catalog, I hunkered down in the biology aisles. Pulling book after book from the shelves, searching the pages for some evidence of women explorers. I was fortunate to attend The Evergreen State College, although small, we had a rich natural history tradition and the library to support it. I remember finding a mention of Marianne North in one of those books, just one name to jot in the margins of my Grinnell journal.
Years later when the inklings for Voyage of the Pleiades began to form, I once more searched for information about intrepid female explorers. I knew they were there, hidden in the lines of history. In one of my early Substack posts, I profiled several women I found, but I kept returning to Marianne North. The internet was sparse on information about her life, and I wanted to experience the vibrancy of Marianne’s work, so I special ordered several of her books. Marianne turned out to be the real-life inspiration that I needed for Linnea Wren.
As Linnea’s contemporary, North would’ve faced similar challenges. Marianne journeyed with her father until he passed away, which at least conformed to the Victorian expectations that a women must have a chaperone while traveling. But she didn’t cease her explorations on the event of her father’s death, instead she ventured to even more exotic locations on her own. In her autobiography she observes, “Did I not paint–and wander and wonder at everything.”1
The notion of a woman having a profession, especially one in a field dominated by wealth, white men, was unthinkable. Yet Marianne North (and others), forged their own paths. She funded her expeditions with family money and by selling her art. Rather than portraying plants in a traditional manner, a specimen without context, Marianne chose to paint in vivid oils, in situ. She represented the landscape as well as the people who lived in the places she visited. She discovered species unknown to European botanists, communicated with renowned scientists, and ventured to locations far outside what was considered acceptable.
Without a doubt, Linnea would have visited the Marianne North Gallery at Kew Gardens. The gallery opened in 1882 on the grounds of Kew. Marianne chose the site, designed the building with a friend, and filled it with more than 800 of her paintings. One of those paintings appears on the cover of Voyage of the Pleiades.
I wasn’t certain what I wanted for a cover image. I’m a botanical illustrator and amateur painter, and I live with a professional photographer. I knew that my standards would be difficult to meet. One advantage to publishing with an indie publisher is that the author has more control and input into the final formatting of their book. On a whim, I visited the Marianne North Gallery website, there hidden in a corner was a link to images available to be optioned for commercial use. But what would were the chances that one of her Chile paintings would suit my book? You’ve seen the result; I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect fit.
In an early chapter of Voyage of the Pleiades, Linnea and Matias are viewing the gallery of botanical paintings on the library walls of Holloway House. I described several paintings: one of Marianne North’s and one of Linnea’s. Coincidentally, Linnea’s painting resembles the cover image I selected. That chapter was written several years before I saw North’s painting. One might even think it was fated for Marianne and Linnea to meet. Maybe.
Thanks to the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens and the Marianne North Gallery. If you can visit the Marianne North Gallery, prepare to be immersed in her vision of our world. It is phenomenal.
And I want to give a final shout out to my natural history professor at Evergreen: Steven G. Herman. Steve passed away in 2020, but his legacy lives on in his many students. We carry the seeds of true naturalists, because of him.
I’ve barely scratched the surface of Marianne North’s life. Below is a collection of links if you wish to know more, including her autobiography.
The Colorful Life of Marianne North.
Botanical Art & Artists Profile
Recollections of a Happy Life, Being the Autobiography of Marianne North. (Content warning: although North’s ideas were modern for the times, her observations and language are typical of colonialism. She traveled with servants and local people, and did not always treat them well.)
Have you pre-ordered Voyage of the Pleiades? We are only a few weeks from publication! In the next two weeks, expect a few more posts, along with some special offers for my subscribers.
North, Marianne. Recollections of a Happy Life, Being the Autobiography of Marianne North. Macmillan, New York. 1894. Page 187.
Adding the Marianne North Gallery to my London bucket list! Wow!