Wake-Robin (Trillium simile)
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist
Accession Number
1970.355.167
Tags
Art Historical Context
Mary Vaux Walcott’s 1939 painting *Wake-Robin (Trillium simile)* captures the delicate white petals and distinctive three-leaved form of this native wildflower with quiet precision. As a work gifted by the artist herself to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the painting reflects Walcott’s lifelong dedication to documenting North American flora through careful observation and artistic skill. Created in the late 1930s, it stands as both a botanical record and a refined example of natural-history illustration. The subject, commonly known as wake-robin, belongs to the Trillium genus and is cel...