Older Artist Spotlight: Mary Delany

At age 72, she invented an entirely new form of mixed media and reimagined florals in a way no artist had ever done before. 

A BRIEF HISTORY

Born May 4th in 1700, Mary Delany did not start creating art until she was 72. It began when she noticed a striking similarity between the color of a geranium petal and a piece of red paper on her bedside table.

“I have invented a new way of imitating flowers,” she reportedly wrote to her niece as she began creating paper collages of flowers. 

Mary Delany’s cut paper collages were no ordinary collages. “Mosiacks”, as she named them, were made from carefully cut and dyed pieces of paper or wallpaper remnants pasted on top of a dark, india-ink washed background. In fact, some consider Delany to be the first mixed media artist, as no one had ever combined and used multiple materials the way she did. Often mistaken for watercolor illustrations, her ‘mosiacks’ are incredibly detailed and scientifically accurate, with some pieces including more than 200 cut pieces. In total, Mary Delany created 985 flower collages now displayed in the British Museum. To date, they are some of the most viewed pieces by museum visitors. 

Rhododendron Maximum, 1778

Rose Galicia, 1782

A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

Though she lived over three centuries ago, Mary Delany can still be seen as a source of inspiration, proving an indisputable truth that age does not limit artistry; everyone has creative potential, and here at BREAM, we are committed to nurturing creativity in everyone. In fact, some of the best artistic ideas have been thought of and developed by older artists. At 72, Mary Delany pioneered an entirely new and unique artistic practice. 

Feeling inspired by Mary Delany’s collage pieces? Step into the medium yourself by following along with BREAM classes that will teach you how to use collage to create an inspiring gratitude box or write poetry through collaging. 

FOR FURTHER READING
The Paper Garden is a beautifully written biography of Mary Delany’s life journey into and through her art written by the talented Molly Peacock.

 SOURCES

Peacock, Molly. The Paper Garden: An Artist Begins Her Life's Work at 72. Bloomsbury USA, 2012.