Attributed to Augusta Innes WITHERS (1792-1877). Original watercolour: a flower spray of the

Attributed to Augusta Innes WITHERS (1792-1877).

Original artwork: a flower spray of the gesneria genus, indistinct pencilled note to lower left margin 'Gesneria sp. ...', verso with artist's name (in pencil, in a modern hand), and 'Askew ...'

[Undated but 1825 or later]. Watercolour and bodycolour on thick wove paper (sheet size: 18 x 14 1/2in; 457 x 369mm), watermarked 'J Whatman / Turkey Mill / 1825'.

N.B. the matt / window mount shown in the accompanying is not included with the artwork.

Condition of artwork: light toning, some very light surface soiling and spotting, old tape residue to verso outer blank margins

Provenance: Ian Askew (purchased with two other watercolours, belonging to Ian Askew, identified as being by Withers, both of which were exhibited at the Graves Art Gallery in Sheffield as part of the 'Famous British Women Artists' exhibition held in 1953: both have identifying labels on the verso of their backing boards).

A fine example of the work of a botanical artist of 'the highest order' (J.C. Loudon). I have not been able to identify the species/variety, but in all likelihood the specimen is from a species which is native to the Caribbean (or possibly South America).

Augusta Hanna Elizabeth Innes Withers (nee Baker) was one of the greatest English 19th-century natural history artists, best known for her illustrations in John Lindley's Pomological Magazine and for her contiibtion to the spectacular plates in James Bateman's monumental Orchidaceae of Mexico and Guatemala. Mrs. Withers 'was appointed 'Flower Painter in Ordinary ' to Queen Adelaide and later to Queen Victoria. She also produced illustrations for Benjamin Maund's "The Botanist", the 'Transactions of the Horticultural Society', the 'Illustrated Bouquet' (1857-1863) and Curtis's 'Botanical Magazine'.

Augusta was the daughter of a Gloucestershire vicar, chaplain to the Prince Regent. She lived in London all her life and was married to Theodore Withers... Besides giving painting classes, she was active as a painter from before 1827 to 1865, exhibiting from 1829-46 at the Royal Academy, the Society of British Artists and theNew Watercolour Society.

John Claudius Loudon commented in the 1831 "Gardener's Magazine" that her talents were of the highest order... In 1815, in an attempt to clarify the nomenclature of cultivated fruit varieties and reduce the number of synonyms in common use, William Jackson Hooker initiated a project of fruit drawings in watercolour stretching over 10 volumes. Suffering a stroke in 1820, Hooker was unable to finish the work. Four other artists, including Augusta Innes Withers... were commissioned to complete the work...' (wikipedia).