Watercolour, Oak Apples, by Anna Airy, ca. 1900-1914.

Watercolour depicting oak apples on the branch of a tree.

Given by A. E. Anderson

Airy's botanical watercolour is an early work. It has a flavour of the period; the composition is elegantly spare and reflects the pervasive influence of Japanese art at the end of the nineteenth century. Though she went on to work as an Official War Artist, and also painted figure subjects and portraits, Airy specialised in flowers and botanical studies. As we have seen flower-painting was thought to be a 'quiet, unpretending womanly employment' (according to the novelist Mary Russell Mitford) and was consequently devalued by being seen as simply a genteel accomplishment rather than a professional occupation. Nevertheless a number of women worked successfully as illustrators of the many botanical periodicals published in the nineteenth century.

From a very young age Anna Airy (1882-1964) experienced success as an artist. She had already achieved fame before she graduated from the Slade School of Art in London at the age of 21. She became particularly well known for watercolours such as this one, which depicts a fruitful branch and shows the influence of Japanese art on Europe at the end of the 19th century.

Airy went on work as an Official War Artist.

P.3-1916