Mary Delany & More At Beningbrough Hall, Near York

Passiflora Laurifolia Bay Leaved (detail)
Mary Delany

 

On a sunny day recently, I cycled out to Beningbrough Hall, which is a very pleasant ride along cycle tracks and quiet country roads.  Beningbrough Hall is a National Trust property near York and I went to see their current exhibitions.  The Botanical World of Mary Delany is definitely one exhibition not to miss. 

 

Physalis - Winter Cherry
Mary Delany

In her 70s, in the late 18th Century, Mary Delany (1700-1788) produced almost 1000 collages (985) of plants and only stopped in her 80s when her eyesight was failing.  Many were created at Bulstrode Park, Buckinghamshire, the home of her great friend, Margaret Bentinck, the Duchess of Portland.  The collages on show aren't the originals, they are high resolution photographic reproductions that are four times the size of the originals.  They are amazingly intricate which, when you realise you are looking at a magnification of x4, makes them all the more remarkable.

Scarlet Geranium and Lobelia Cardinalis
Mary Delany

They are all presented on a black paper background which Mary painted using a watercolour mix, coloured with soot.  Her collage papers are also painted with watercolours.  Mary then cut the coloured papers to the shapes she needed and stuck them on with a variety of different glues.  Some collages have more then 200 pieces.

Spiraea Ulmaria - Meadowsweet (detail)
Mary Delany

We are not seeing the originals, which are held at the British Museum, because they are very fragile and because they use watercolours, are very light sensitive.  Also the collages are kept in folios which doesn't make viewing easy.  The reproductions are very good and allow a much wider audience to see them.  The collection is known as the Flora Delanica.

Cactus Grandifloras - Melon Thistle
Mary Delany

On the collages or "paper mosaiks" as Mary called them, she has written the plant's latin name and also the common name.  Sometimes there are interesting historical details on the reverse of the collage which might include what was happening where she was on the day she created them.  This might mention a royal visit or some such.  Mary moved in high society and had many friends in high places.  In fact it was Joseph Banks who was the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew who sent her many plant samples to copy as he held her work in very high esteem.  This was one of those samples and one of the last "mosaiks" that Mary made...

Portlandia Grandiflora (Jamaican Bell Flower)
Mary Delany

As well as Mary Delany there is a small exhibition of some of the remarkable work of women artists held in the National Trust's various collections.  These include watercolours by Susanna Drury from 1739 of the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland which show the feature with geological accuracy and also popularised the Giant's Causeway... 

East Prospect of the Giant's Causeway (detail)
Susanna Drury

There is a modern screen with embroidered panels of plants and mottos by Bess of Hardwick and Mary Queen of Scots (from the time of her captivity at Hardwick Hall) which helped Bess learn Latin,

Needlework Octagons Mounted on a Modern Screen
Bess of Hardwick & Mary Queen of Scots

aquatints that have been embellished with fabrics and embroidery by Sabine Winn - embellising prints with fabric was a popular craft in the 18th century...

Le Fleuve Scamandre (detail)
Sabine Winn

There are also works by Maria Sibylla Merian of the plants and insects of Suriname and one of Marianne North's scientifically accurate floral paintings...  

A Pineapple Surrounded by Cockroaches
Maria Sibylla Merian

Japan - Marianne North

The latter two are linked with Mary Delany by a modern sculptural piece by Rebecca Stevenson in the hall which consists of the three women's heads decorated with fruit and flowers...

Mary, Maria, Marianne
Rebecca Stevenson

Carrying on the natural world theme, local artist, Kate Buckley has an origami installation of butterflies hanging in the stairwell and there is an origami room where you can create origami flowers, butterflies & bugs which you can leave behind for display or take away with you.  I left a flower and a butterfly. If you want to try out some origami at home check out the videos and instructions on Kate's website. Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, as well as being an artform has also been used in science and engineering.

Origami Butterfly Installation - Kate Buckley

In addition, there is a new Mediterranean Garden to explore, created by Andy Sturgeon.  This has been created to be resilient in the face of our changing climate with plants that can withstand higher temperatures and drier summer conditions but also wetter winters.

Mediterranean Garden - Beningbrough Hall

There are, of course, extensive grounds at Beningbrough apart from the Mediterranean Garden, and a play area, cafe, shop, including plants for sale, not to mention interesting rooms and info in the Hall to explore besides the exhibitions mentioned.  Did you know that John Bourchier, a past owner of Beningbrough Hall, added his official seal to Charles 1's death warrant in 1649?

Beningbrough Hall is well worth a visit, especially while The Botanical World of Mary Delany exhibiton is on (continues until 25 March 2025).  Go see!

Nymphaea alba - white water Lilly (detail)
Mary Delany