Art History - Botanical Artists: A Three-Session Series

What you'll learn

Learn art history and natural science with our art history short courses in Sydney!

Botanical art is more than an artistic pursuit — it reflects exploration, science, and culture. This three-part series offers a detailed journey through the stories of pioneering botanical artists, their global travels, and their lasting influence on art and science. From Marianne North’s extraordinary journeys to the Australian pioneers Margaret Forrest and Louisa Atkinson, through to the Romantic and Victorian influences that shaped their work, you’ll uncover how botanical art has evolved and why it continues to inspire today’s artists.

Through illustrated talks, curated readings, and guided discussion, you’ll engage with the cultural context, the lives of the artists, and the enduring power of their work.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this botanical art course series, you should be able to:

• Describe the contributions of leading botanical artists and their global impact.
• Explain the cultural, political, and scientific contexts that influenced botanical art in the 18th and 19th centuries.
• Recognise the stylistic influence of Romantic and Victorian artists on botanical illustration.
• Analyse how historical botanical art continues to inspire contemporary artists.
• Engage critically with visual examples of botanical art in both historical and modern contexts.

Course content

Session 1: Botanical Art and Global Exploration

• Introduction to botanical art: its role in science, discovery, and culture.
• Marianne North: traveller, naturalist, and artist.
• North’s global journeys and her connections with Charles Darwin.
• Illustrated case studies of her Australian flora paintings.
• Discussion: why was botanical art so important in the Age of Discovery?

Session 2: Australian Pioneers and Victorian Contexts

• Margaret Forrest and Louisa Atkinson: documenting flora in Australia.
• Challenges faced by women artists in Victorian society.
• The social and political climate of the 19th century and its impact on art.
• Romantic influences: Caspar David Friedrich and connections to landscape art.
• Readings from Collecting Ladies by Penny Olsen (extracts provided).

Session 3: Legacy and Contemporary Connections

• How Victorian botanical artists shaped future artistic traditions.
• William Robinson and other modern artists inspired by nature.
• The continuing relevance of botanical art in ecology and conservation.
• Group discussion: what can botanical art teach us about seeing nature today?
• Closing reflections and Q&A.

Course format

• Sessions: 3
• Duration per session: 3 hours
• Total hours: 9
• Delivery mode: On-campus, illustrated lecture-discussion format.

Who is this course for?

This series is ideal for art lovers, history and science enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the intersection of art and exploration. No prior knowledge is required — just an interest in art, culture, and the natural world.