Marianne North, Preston Hall Museum, Stockton

by Karen McLauchlan, Evening Gazette

THERE’S a rare chance to see nature in all its beauty at a new exhibition at Preston Hall Museum in Stockton.

The selection of paintings by the Victorian painter and explorer, MARIANNE NORTH which are rarely displayed are on loan from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Running until Sunday, March 8, the exhibition shows how Marianne portrayed plants in their natural habitat as well as landscapes, animals and birds and insects.

Between 1871 and 1881 Marianne explored the United States, Canada, Jamaica, Tenerife, Japan, Singapore, Sarawak, Java, Sri Lanka, India, Australia and New Zealand and completed several hundred paintings during her travels.

The Royal Botanic Gardens now displays 832 of her paintings and Marianne herself supervised the selection and hanging, stipulating her work should never travel nor be rearranged.

However, more than 100 other paintings rarely seen by the public have gone on display at Preston Hall Museum.

Cllr Mary Womphrey, Stockton Council’s Cabinet Member for Arts, Culture and Leisure, said the exhibition had been developed as a result of the recent reopening of Preston Hall Museum’s Victorian Winter Garden last year after undergoing major repairs to bring it back into public use.

The conservatory was added to the hall by Sir Robert Ropner in 1885 when such extensions were considered a “must-have” for the wealthy.

It was used as a winter garden for more than 100 years, though the elements and time took their toll and the fabric deteriorated to such an extent that it was closed to the public in 2000.

“Through the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, the museum is able to bring to Stockton the work of this remarkable woman for all to enjoy,” says Cllr Womphrey.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to see works of art not normally on display to the public in a perfect setting.

“I would urge everyone to go along and see for themselves.”

For more details contact the museum on 01642 527375.