 American (California / Illinois) 1883 - 1971
"Peacock and Cockatoos" Oil on Board Signed and Titled Verso: Jessie Arms Botke, Carmel by the Sea Calif. Provenance: Gifted to the Family from the Artist
The work of Jessie Arms Botke is represented in many major collections and museums, including The Art Institute of Chicago, The Carnegie Art Museum, The Irvine Museum, and The Norton Gallery of Art. Her murals are housed in the University of Chicago and the Oxnard California Public Library. Botke was married to well known early California impressionist Cornelius Botke. |
Jessie Arms Botke, one of the most celebrated female artists of the early 20th century, is best known for her paintings of exotic birds. Her favorite subjects were peacocks, toucans and cockatoos, among detailed leaves and flora. The work is fanciful and jewel-like in its conception and execution, often on a gold leaf ground. Her work ranges from small paintings to large murals, always with the same rich tapestry of design.
Botke discovered the peacock when commissioned by the Herter Looms (NY) to paint murals for Billie Burke's home at Hastings-on-the-Hudson. "It was love at first sight and has been ever since," she recalled. She later stated, concerning her love for birds:
“My interest in birds was not sentimental, it
was always what sort of pattern they made, and the white peacock was so
appealing because it was a simple, but beautiful white form to be
silhouetted against dark background, and the texture and pattern of the
lacy tail broke the harshness of the white mass without losing the
simplicity of the pattern.”
"Peacock and
Cockatoos" embodies the best qualities of Botke's work, particularly in
the juxtaposition
of the serenity
of the cockatoos
against the expansive energy of the displayed peacock, upon a vibrant
blue ground.
We are pleased to
have it in our collection, and to offer it at this time.
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