Small Yellow Ladyslipper (Cypripedium parviflorum)

Art Historical Context

Mary Vaux Walcott'sSmall Yellow Ladysl (Cypripediumiflorum)*, in 1917, the delicate beauty of this native North American orchid with scientific precision and artistic grace. As part of the Smithsonian American Art's collection—gifted directly by the artist—this painting exemplifies Walcott's lifelong passion for documenting wildflowers. The small yellow ladyslipper, with its pouch-like bloom and intricate veining, is rendered in exquisite detail, highlighting the flower's rarity and ecological importance in wetlands and meadows across the continent. Walcott, a pioneering botanist and artist (...