Western Rattlesnake Plantain (Peranium decipiens)

Art Historical Context

Mary Vaux Walcott's *Western Rattlesnake Plantain (Peranium decipiens)*, painted in 1905, captures the delicate beauty of this intriguing wildflower, also known as the Western rattlesnake plantain. This botanical painting showcases the plant's distinctive leaves and subtle floral details, rendered with the precision typical of early 20th-century natural history art. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Smithsonian Collection, it reflects Walcott's keen eye for America's native flora. As a gift directly from the artist to the museum, the work holds special historical significance, h...