Small Tiger Lily (Lilium parvum)

Art Historical Context

In this delicate painting, slender green stems rise vertically across the page, bearing several open blossoms of the small tiger lily. The flowers display vivid orange petals that curve outward, revealing yellow throats marked with dark spots, while unopened buds and narrow leaves add rhythm to the composition. The artist has rendered each detail with precise brushwork, capturing the plant’s natural posture against a soft, unadorned background. Mary Vaux Walcott created this work in 1933 while observing wildflowers in Yosemite. A dedicated naturalist and artist, she produced hundreds of such botanical studies, many of which were later published to help the public recognize North American flora. Her paintings combine scientific accuracy with an appreciation for the living plant, reflecting the careful fieldwork she conducted over many seasons. Gift of the artist to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Small Tiger Lily (Lilium parvum) remains a fine example of her ability to record nature with both clarity and quiet beauty.