Mary Delany
Mary Delany and related products. Mary Pendarves, née Mary Granville ( born May 14, 1700 in Coulston, † April 15, 1788 in Windsor ) was an English painter, garden artist and letter writer.
Life and work
Mary Granville was born in a small country house in Wiltshire, the daughter of Bernard Granville, grandson of the famous Sir Bevil Granville. As a young girl she learned ten year Georg Friedrich Händel know, as this is the first time staying in London. It was Handel's most loyal admirer and the contact was to last until his death in 1759.
Her first husband was Alexander Pendarves, her second of the Irish clergyman Patrick Delany, the dean of County Down in Ireland. Under the name of her second husband, as Mrs. Delany, she became known as the author of a 1861 published six-volume autobiography and correspondence with the aristocratic relatives and friends, including the royal family, Jonathan Swift and Handel. We owe it not only personally dyed comments on art and science of time in general, but also about Handel and the performances of his works. This extensive work is also an excellent source for the study of domestic life at Windsor Castle during the reign of George III. and Queen Charlotte.
Mary Delany acquired in a late career fame as the creator of cut out paper flowers, which are now on display in the British Museum. With precise detail and naturalism extraordinary dexterity, she made out of sometimes hundreds of painted and glued together on a black background paper leaflets over 1000 decoupage which imitate the whole of their time known flora. The work also undertook an attempt to document new botanical knowledge by using the collage technique and catalog - they called its paper mosaics as Flora Delanica. The royal family appreciated her art very much and asked her a small house in Windsor available.
Mary Delany was also a member of the London bluestocking society. George Ballard dedicated his main work Memoirs of several ladies of Great Britain, who have been Celebrated for Their writings or skill in the learned languages , arts and sciences. (1752 ).