The Paper Garden: An Artist Begins Her Life's Work at 72. I have not really read a word yet, but the cover, the cover line, and the subject matter having me hastening to my reading chair and settling in for a good long spell. It's not a very pretty day, although I see just the first brush of yellow on the forsythia bushes and the magnolia outside my window is promising blossoms soon. So read on I will.
I know the words "Mrs. Delany" will gladden many hearts among you. How we have reveled in her paper garden--floral collages of such delicacy and beauty that they have lasted for centuries. As I open the book, on one page there is a simple black and white graphic of a pair of scissors. Divine.A small selection reads:
After making that vital imaginative connection between paper and petal, she lifted the eighteenth-century equivalent of an X-acto blade ...or a pair of filigree-handled scissors--the kind that must have had a nose so sharp and delicate you could almost imagine it picking up a scent. With the instrument alive in her still rather smooth-skinned hand, she began to maneuver, carefully cutting the exact geranium petal shape from the scarlet paper.
Then she snipped out another....commencing the most remarkable work of her life.
I do wish that the floral illustrations had a bit of gloss, but it is a small desire. I cannot wait to tear into the story of a life whose lasting work began in the third quarter of her life.
Poet Molly Peacock is the author of this tome of almost 400 pages. You can visit her website to learn more about her. Or look at the British Museum's collection of Mrs. Delany's work online. And, of course, do look at the website for the book.Oh, and again, thanks to a publicist who put the right book in the right hands. How did you know, Lynn?
What a wonderful book! I have seen some of works at the British Museum and was absolutely amazed. It will be a wonderful glimpse of an artist and a time capsule.
ReplyDeleteRuth
Oh, another wonderful book to add to my reading list. Thanks for the recommendation.
ReplyDeleteI am particularly fond of the "Begins her life's work 72" Go courage!
ReplyDeleteWomen can ROCK at any age...I will seek this book till found! Thank you lovely Nancy!
ReplyDeleteVery curious now about Mrs. Delaney. The book looks like it would be fascinating.
ReplyDeleteI cannot wait to find this book; your early review is blissful, I enjoyed the Molly Peacock's website, and the museum a dream of mine. This was just the most perfect post to read on a fickle spring day. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI never heard of this woman, so how nice of you to introduce us, Nancy! This is one of the things I most cherished about classic Victoria--meeting new artists, authors, or craftsmen--and seeing just how marvelously they create beauty. Thanks again and again for keeping that Victoria tradition alive! Warmly, Karen Marline
ReplyDeleteNancy, the book came yesterday and I am thoroughly enjoying it. It is very satisfying on so many levels: the gorgeous illustrations, the text, the history and least of all the tale of a woman long past her "prime" who reinvents herself for other centuries to see. I may not have found this book without you Nancy! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWell, I am certainly intrigued by the title as well as the accomplishments of this woman. How encouraging that it is never too late to pursue your passion and to put your giftedness into action. Thank you for passing along to us what was put into your hands.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nancy - I've ready Molly Peacock's book - Mrs. Delaney's life & art are amazing. I enjoyed Molly Peacock's parallels to her own life, though not so much the somewhat crude sexual analogies of the art, which I found too 21st century. Thanks to Molly Peacock for sharing Delaney's story anew - what an example for all of us - we're never too old to try something new!
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