My first job for a daily newspaper almost four decades ago had botanical prints by artist Margaret Stones on the walls.
Years passed before I noticed them, even though the pictures were prominently displayed in the editorial office. While I was pounding texts and juggling deadlines, I didn’t leave much time in my life to enjoy pictures of pretty flowers in a hallway at work.
It wasn’t until much later that I understood the importance of Stones and their special place in Louisiana. Australian-born Stones was one of the finest botanical illustrators in the world. In honor of America’s bicentenary in 1976 and the 50th anniversary of the LSU campus, Gresdna Doty, a theater professor, suggested to then-university president Paul Murrill that Stones be commissioned to create six watercolor drawings. Stones and Louisiana fell in love and the project eventually expanded to include 224 images of Louisiana plants. The original watercolors are in a special collection at LSU. Through prints and a lavish illustrated book, Stones’ work has reached a wider audience in Louisiana.
Stones died in 2018 at the age of 98. More people seem to be acknowledging their local heritage lately. Last year, LSU’s Hill Memorial Library included some of her drawings in a larger exhibit celebrating its natural history collection. Now through May 7, the Louisiana Art & Science Museum of Baton Rouge is showing its collection of botanical prints by Stones from Louisiana.
I went to the LASM exhibit earlier this month and was thrilled to find the museum packed. Admission is free on the first Sunday of every month, and many guests, including young families, took advantage of the bargain. After the challenges of the pandemic lockdown, it was heartening to see a cultural venue overcrowded again.
LASM’s Stones exhibit is housed in the Catwalk Gallery, which spans the upper wings of the museum. While some visitors stopped to admire the prints, others seemed oblivious to their art as they traversed the gallery to get to other exhibits.
Stones is an easily overlooked artist. She did not dramatize her subjects, apparently content with the idea that a beautiful flower, rendered clearly, was vivid enough. She placed her flowers against a plain white background, giving them an ethereal quality, like spirits floating in the air.
I love her Magnolia Grandiflora, which rises like a galaxy of green, red, and white. Her yellow pitcher plant, which takes its name from its hollow insect-catching vessel, seems to wave a little menacingly at the viewer – a silent reminder that predators often rely on charm. I suppose my favorite Stones image is their honeysuckle, its red and yellow blossoms popping like firecrackers in the summer sky.
If you can’t make it to LASM, check out a virtual gallery of Stones drawings on the LSU website at lib.lsu.edu. I wish I had paid more attention to her as her art has sat next to my desk for all these years. However, it was a real pleasure to finally catch up.
Email Danny Heitman at [email protected]
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