Riverbank Gentian (Gentiana affinis)

Art Historical Context

Mary Vaux Walcott'sRiverbank Gentian (iana affinis)*, in 1924, the delicate beauty of this vibrant wildflower native to North American riverbanks and alpine meadows. As a gifted amateur botanist and artist,cott rendered the gentian's vivid blue petals and intricate stamen with scientific precision and artistic grace. This watercolor painting—gifted by the artist herself to the Smithsonian American Art Museum—exemplifies her passion for documenting North America's flora during expeditions in the Rocky Mountains alongside her husband, paleontologist Charles Doolittle Walcott. Created in the ear...