Natural History Illustrators - Olivia Tonge
Between 1908 and 1913, Olivia Tonge travelled India and part of what is now Pakistan, illustrating the world around her in vibrant watercolour renditions. Whilst her work is beautiful and rich in colour, it may not be the most scientifically accurate.
Despite this, the notes she wrote alongside her paintings are insightful and eye-opening, especially to someone like me who doesn't have much knowledge of cultural history. And that's another thing that I admire about Tonge's work; she documented a wide variety of subjects from fauna and flora to jewellery, food and small local creations such as the 'Hill Man's Impromptu Pipe' (see below image).
Sometimes her descriptions are more on the whimsical side rather than that of scientific observation, such as in the case of the crab (above). However they are still somewhat educational to people who know nothing about the subject matter. For example, I didn't know before looking at this painting that this particular crab is a quick and graceful swimmer. In this way, Tonge's work is perhaps more accessible to the masses as it doesn't assume the viewer has a scientific background. Her personal touch within the work makes the information therein easy to digest.
I'm delighted that I stumbled across Olivia Tonge's eye-catching work - not only for the beautiful and inspiring imagery but also for the little titbits of information that entice me to learn more about subjects I might never have thought to venture into otherwise.
Despite this, the notes she wrote alongside her paintings are insightful and eye-opening, especially to someone like me who doesn't have much knowledge of cultural history. And that's another thing that I admire about Tonge's work; she documented a wide variety of subjects from fauna and flora to jewellery, food and small local creations such as the 'Hill Man's Impromptu Pipe' (see below image).
I love Tonge's work for the little insights into the past. Packets of Betel Nut and Hill Men's Pipes are things that I doubt I would have ever known existed without her illustrations and brief but lucid notations. Especially as a concept artist, I find these to spark an abundance of ideas.
Sometimes her descriptions are more on the whimsical side rather than that of scientific observation, such as in the case of the crab (above). However they are still somewhat educational to people who know nothing about the subject matter. For example, I didn't know before looking at this painting that this particular crab is a quick and graceful swimmer. In this way, Tonge's work is perhaps more accessible to the masses as it doesn't assume the viewer has a scientific background. Her personal touch within the work makes the information therein easy to digest.
I'm delighted that I stumbled across Olivia Tonge's eye-catching work - not only for the beautiful and inspiring imagery but also for the little titbits of information that entice me to learn more about subjects I might never have thought to venture into otherwise.
Comments
Post a Comment