THE BOTANICAL WORLD OF MARY DELANY

An exhibition celebrating eighteenth-century artist, Mary Delany, presented in partnership with the British Museum. Layered throughout the galleries will be historic and contemporary artworks honouring creative women, including a specially commissioned sculpture by Rebecca Stevenson.

The photographic display offers visitors a chance to explore Delany’s extraordinary ‘paper mosaiks’. Created by delicately painting, cutting and layering paper, these botanical artworks and their intricate detail are considered as both artistic masterpieces and scientifically accurate specimens. Starting at the age of 72, Delany created more than 900 of these extraordinary artworks over the next decade, stopping only when her deteriorating eyesight made it impossible to continue. They have previously remained largely unseen due to their fragile nature and existence within bound books, cared for by the British Museum.

For the first time, visitors will have the opportunity to see a more extensive selection of her collages and will be able to look closely at stunning details of the ‘mosaiks’ she created through her painstakingly precise techniques. The exhibition will showcase over 30 of these exquisite artworks through high-quality photographs.