Hidden Kingdom
Artist
Jessie Hazel Arms Botke
(1883 - 1971)
Datec.1930
MediumOil and gold leaf on canvas board
Dimensions30 1/4 x 45 in. (76.8 x 114.3 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineGift of The Hilbert Collection
Object number2023.056
DescriptionJessie Hazel Arms Botke achieved great popularity for her elegant paintings of birds, particularly the classic Art Deco avian subjects: herons, peacocks, egrets, flamingos and cockatoos. Due to her early training in decorative arts and as a tapestry designer with Herter Looms in New York City, her bird paintings often resemble Asian screens or scroll designs, gleaming with real gold and silver leaf. They are fantasies of nature, the birds portrayed realistically but also with decorative intent, posed with studied grace against lush foliage and flowers. Botke and her husband, fellow artist Cornelius Botke, were prominent members of the artists’ colony in Carmel, California before moving to Los Angeles for a brief period and finally settling in Santa Paula. In addition to her famous bird paintings, she also painted many other subjects, including California missions, landscapes, and images of Native American life.
Mary Platt, Director
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