Wheel Flower, Stenocarpus sinuatus (1929) woodblock print,
hand coloured in gouache on brown mulberry paper.
Image courtesy of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Women engaged in the creative arts have often struggled to make a place for themselves by building a public profile that recognizes and rewards their endeavours. Moving against this trend, a small number of women have tasted success through the application of talent, determination, and relentless hard work. One such woman was Margaret Preston, who is still recognized today for her outstanding achievements as a painter and printmaker.
Margaret Rose McPherson (1875 – 1963) was born in Adelaide, South Australia, to David and Prudence McPherson. After the family moved to Sydney in 1885, Margaret enjoyed the benefits of a quality education. At this time her artistic talent was noted, so private art study began with William Lister, a well-known painter of seascapes and coastal subjects. While still in her teens, Margaret was accepted by the prestigious National Gallery of Victoria Art School, then flourishing under the direction of Frederick McCubbin. Margaret’s talents also won her several scholarships, one of importance to the Adelaide School of Design for personal study with Hans Heysen.
In Adelaide where she was nicknamed, ‘Mad Maggie,’ a student fondly recalled her as a lively redhead who was either an advanced student or an instructor of some sort. Margaret was drawn toward the genre of still life painting as she valued this endeavour over the more lucrative and popular forms of landscape and portrait painting. Her time in Adelaide caused her to firmly set her compass and in no time she was off and moving on her way.
Margaret Preston, Self -portrait (1930) oil on canvas.
Image courtesy of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Always an eager traveler, Margaret undertook many study trips to Europe and the British Isles. In August of 1918, she and Gladys Reynell, a former student and close friend, taught art classes to shell-shocked soldiers at Searle Hayne Neurological Hospital in Devon. On the return voyage Margaret met her future husband, William George Preston, a gunner returning from service with the Australian Imperial Force. The couple married in December and settled in Mossman, Sydney. Bill Preston became a director of Hordern & Sons, Tooheys and other companies. He was a fervent supporter of her work, and Margaret’s financial security now enabled world-wide travel to study and experiment with new styles and techniques.
During a visit to Paris, Margaret became captivated by the Chinese and Japanese art displayed at the Musee Guimet. Here her perceptions of artistic vision and expression became radically altered. The study of Japanese art awakened her senses: to a delight in asymmetry, to pattern as the dominant element of design, the celebration of a particular flower or plant, and an engagement with deliberate primitism. But it was in the “friendly little craft” of woodblock printing that Margaret Preston would excel.
Australian Rock Lily, Dendrobium speciousum (1933) hand coloured
woodblock print. Image courtesy of the Queensland Art Gallery GOMA.
Working within a small scale, and with readily available materials, Margaret used the knowledge acquired from her previous study of Japanese prints to cut, print and hand colour her own highly stylized botanical designs. Inexpensive to produce, her woodblock prints were aimed at the domestic market where they gained wide appeal.
Woodblock printing is created by moving through a number of steps. First a block of wood is selected, sanded and rubbed smooth before a design is drawn on its surface. Small scalpels cut away the borders and outlines of the design along the grain of the wood, leaving a thin protruding edge to take the ink. Spaces within the outlines are scooped out using chisels of different sizes. Oil or water based ink is poured onto a glass surface followed by a roller smoothing the ink over the glass. Finally the inked roller is applied to the raised surfaces of the design. A piece of quality paper is dropped over the block then gently rubbed—Margaret used the back of a spoon—until the design is transferred onto the paper. After the ink has dried, the open spaces are hand coloured with gouache or another type of water based paint.
Throughout her entire career Margaret Preston remained fanatical about botanical, as the majority of her prints feature Australian native flowers as their subjects. Within this genre directed by a Japanese aesthetic, she selected bold, bright colours on plane surfaces, avoiding shadows or any form of centeredness. Inspired by the prints of the ukiyo-e school, she cultivated an instinct for the asymmetrical zig-zag arrangement of forms and cut-off compositions. Even her earlier monogram, MRM, the initials of her maiden name, or the MP adopted after her marriage, had occasionally been cut in the manner of a Japanese seal and inked in red. While comparing her approach to the craft of printmaking with that of the great Japanese artists, she always stressed that her work represented a Western form of wood cutting, quite different from that of the East.
Waratas, Telopea speciosissima (1925) hand coloured woodblock print.
Image courtesy of the Australian National Gallery.
Fine art has always featured plants by showcasing them in many mediums: painting, drawing, print making, embroidery, and photography. Early botanical art, with its formal and accurate presentation of the seed, the bud, and the mature flower, was both artistic and scientific. The popularity of global travel in the 19th century led to the discovery and classification of many new species of flora and the public was eager to study and appreciate them. Only later were flowers, shrubs and trees presented with artistic freedom.
Margaret Preston, one of Australia’s foremost artists between the wars, sent shock-waves through art circles with her lively art, her spirited journalism and her enthusiasm for work and travel. During the past two decades The National Gallery of Australia has assembled an extraordinary collection of her etchings, woodcuts, monotypes, paintings and stencils. Of all our Australian artists, she is the best known for her vibrant and decorative prints of Australian birds, flowers and landscapes. Her last major exhibition was held in 1953 at the Sydney Macquarie Gallery where she exhibited 28 stencil prints. The 78 year old artist attended, carrying a bouquet of Australian wild flowers in one of her own hand woven baskets.
I feel as though your post has presented me with a lovely bouquet of wildflowers. Delighted to meet this wonderful artist.
Thank you for your comment. It pleases me to make Margaret Preston’s work known to others.
There are, I am sure, more than a few women of the early 20th century, who require more recognition. I think May Gibbs is a fascinating artist. http://silkannthreades.wordpress.com/2013/02/26/1520/ By the way, I love that your Nepali paper journal is called Seed Pearls.
What a delight it was to read your essay on those two cute little gumnut babies. Snugglepot and Cuddlepie are still appealing to children today and certainly have made a place for themselves in Aussie children’s literature.
What lovely prints, thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your comment. I’ve visited your fascinating website and am now following your blog.
As a student of the art and craft of Japanese wood block prints, this artist’s work has always inspired awe in me for the skill and delicacy with which she glorifies our flowers. She was so brave to go it alone and I am so pleased to give her the recognition she deserves.
Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. Yes, it’s time that women artists from our past be given the attention their work deserves.
Wonderful post! I was already getting excited when the title of your post appeared in my WordPress Reader. Beautiful prints and the story of an inspirational life. Thank you!
Many thanks for leaving your comment. I’m a Margaret Preston admirer too.
What a wonderful and informative essay, Mary! I have a passion for printmaking and for flowers. Thanks for introducing me to Margaret Preston! I enjoyed reading about her life and seeing some of her work.
Thank you, Andelieya. So much beautiful fine art and craft has grown from admiring flowers. It’s a great way to celebrate nature.
Interesting article, Mary. I like your title “When Botanical Art Becomes Fine Art”. We visited the NSW Art Gallery when they had one of Paul Cézanne’s exhibitions on. Enjoyed the gallery. Have a lovely weekend. Iris
Thank you, iris, for dropping by and leaving your comment.