![]() ![]() ![]() Botanical illustrator Mary Ellen Carsley (Contributed) At his death at 46, Gibson had illustrated and authored nine books, including “Our Edible Toadstools and Mushrooms and How to Distinguish Them” (1895), “Strolls by Starlight and Sunshine” and “Backyard Studies,” the latter a testament to Gibson’s fidelity to southern New England’s vegetation. An autodidact, he taught himself about the natural world, the same way he learned how to draw plants and landscapes, Carsley said. He made natural science fun and exciting and accessible for a world that was filled with natural science hobbyists.”īorn in Sandy Hook in 1850, Gibson sketched flowers and insects as a boy and developed an interest in botany and entomology. “He’s been criticized as not being sciency enough and not being fun enough, so he walks the line between the two,” Carsley said. Carsley said Gibson occupied a nuanced position between scientific illustration and fine art. The lecture will be presented on Zoom and requires pre-registration.Ī prolific illustrator who only began drawing in his mid to late 20s, Gibson became one of the most famous artists in the last half of the 19th century, a period known as “The Great Age of Illustration.” His illustrations adorned popular magazines and his own naturalist books. ![]() He was very famous for a lecture on mycology, or the study of mushrooms.” William Hamilton Gibson (Wikipedia)Ĭarsley will present “William Hamilton Gibson: 19th Century Renaissance Man for the 21st Century,” a lecture about the American scientific and botanical illustrator, author and naturalist, on Tuesday at the Gunn Memorial Library and Museum in Washington, Conn. “His obituary was on the front page of The New York Times. “He was a rock star on the lecture circuit,” said botanical illustrator Mary Ellen Carsley. In the mid-19th century, when lectures on botany and science were as popular – and nearly as lucrative – as rock concerts, Connecticut native William Hamilton Gibson was a superstar. The Peerless Plume from ‘Birds and Plumage,’ by William Hamilton Gibson, Harper’s Magazine, 1878 ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |