Poison Hemlock

Marta Bowerley

Marta Bowerley, more frequently listed by her original and oft-published name, Amelia Bauerle, enjoyed a prolific illustration career and contributed to books and periodicals throughout her short life. In addition to her profession, however, Bowerley was an accomplished fine artist who focused primarily on nature, particularly in detailed images of flora.

In this watercolor sketch she depicts a stem of poison hemlock, the dangerous, if beautiful, member of the carrot family native to Europe and North Africa. Bowerely’s eye for detail captures the plant in all of its stages, with buds just emerging and the elegant umbles of a full-blown blossom radiating out from the head, as well as the streaks of deep purple commonly found along the plant’s wide, hollow stem.

From the collection of Danish critic and author Georg Bröchner (1874-1933) who wrote for the British art magazine "The Studio" in the early 20th century.