Now on view, in the Tate Britain's newly-hung Pre-Raphaelite gallery, this Martha Darley Mutrie (1824-1885) oil painting was recently aquired with the help of the Maas Gallery
Martha Mutrie, along with her artist-sister Anna (1826-1893) studied at the Manchester School of Design under George Wallis, predominantly painting flower subjects. The art critic John Ruskin admired their work, and wrote in his 1855 Academy Notes:
'These flower paintings are remarkable for very lovely, pure, and yet unobtrusive colour - perfectly tender, and yet luscious ... and a richness of petal texture that seems absolutely scented. The arrangement is always graceful ... (but) I wish this very accomplished artist would paint some banks of flowers in wild country, just as they grow, as she appears slightly in danger of falling into too artificial methods of grouping.'
Ruskin went on to praise Martha Mutrie, encouraging her to attempt compositions of 'some banks of flowers in wild country, just as they grow’. This painting is dated c. 1855-60.
May 2023
