Dr. Lynne Howarth-Gladston is an artist, curator, and scholar with a Ph.D. in Critical Theory from the University of Nottingham. Her work as a painter has been exhibited internationally, and she served as the lead curator for New China/New Art: Contemporary Video from Shanghai and Hangzhou, an exhibition presented at the Djanogly Gallery at the University of Nottingham in 2015. Additionally, Dr. Howarth-Gladston was an expert contributor to the BBC4 documentary Kew’s Forgotten Queen: The Life of Marianne North (2016). Currently, she teaches at the University of New South Wales, where she continues to engage in both academic and creative practice.
The Art and Legacy of Miss North: Botanical Painter and Global Traveler
February 11, 2025
11 a.m. to 12 p.m. | Ross Hall
A Lecture by Lynne Howarth-Gladston, Moderated by Sir Peter Crane
Co-organized by NYBG’s Humanities Institute and the Oak Spring Garden Foundation
Join us for an engaging lecture and discussion of Lynne Howarth-Gladston’s new book, Marianne North: A Victorian Painter for the 21st Century. This lavishly illustrated book re-assesses the work of botanical painter Marianne North (1830–1890), examining her unique approach to painting, her techniques, and her use of photography. Howarth-Gladston will delve into how North was both an unconventional botanical artist and a technically progressive figure, merging various artistic styles and methods from both scientific and aesthetic viewpoints.
Moderated by Sir Peter Crane, President of the Oak Spring Garden Foundation, this lecture will explore how North’s pioneering spirit reshaped the landscape of botanical art. The discussion will situate her as a multi-faceted individual rooted in the complexities of her time, offering a legacy that continues to resonate with modern intersections between art and science, feminism, climate change, and multi-media artistry.
This event is free and open to the public.
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About the Speakers
Sir Peter Crane is President of the Oak Spring Garden Foundation in Virginia, an estate of Rachel Lambert Mellon that includes an exquisite garden as well as an exceptional library focused on the history of plant science, plant exploration, and the development of gardens and landscape design. He is known internationally for his work on the diversity of plant life – its origin, fossil history, current status, conservation and use. Previously he was Director of theField Museum in Chicago, Director of The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in the UK and Dean of the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (now the Yale School of Environment). He is the recipient of several honorary degrees from universities in the UK and US. He received the International Prize for Biology in December 2014 as well as the Darwin-Wallace Medal of the Linnean Society of London and the Garden Club of America Medal of Honor in 2024.
Location Ross Hall
Location Ross Hall