Footnotes

Philippa Crabtree was born in London on 17th November 1764. She became a botanical artist, listed as living in Bishopsgate Street.

Exhibited at Royal Academy, 1786-87.

Literature
An article written by W. Roberts appeared in The Gardeners' Chronicle, 5th June 1920, entitled 'A Forgotten Botanical Artist: Miss Crabtree'.
Roberts describes the exciting discovery of a folio of watercolours by the artist.

"Hodgson sold a consignment of portfolios or albums from Sussex, which included many beautiful drawings of flowers on vellum by Philippa Crabtree"..."All the more important drawings of flowers were purchased by Mr Francis Edwards of High Street, Marylebone, who kindly permitted me to take full notes."

"The earliest dated drawing by Phillipa Crabtree I have found is one, 1784, of Narcissus Tazetta, which helps us to realise from what an indifferent type many wonderful varieties have been developed. Common garden flowers such as Sweet Peas, Pinks, double Daisies, and so forth appear among Miss Crabtree's earlier work. In 1786 she extended her scope and was able to paint many exotic plants, possibly in Curtis's London Botanic Gardens, in St. George's Fields, within easy walk of Bishopsgate Street, and to which the subscription was a guinea a year. The drawings of Geranium (Pelargonium) lanceolatum is dated 1786, about 11 years after it was introduced; in the same year also appears a British plant, Melittis Melissophyllum, and Ipomaea Quamoclit, which some years later was figures in the Botanical Magazine". He describes "the undated ones include many interesting examples, such for instance as various Rhododendrons, Passifloras, Roses and various bulbous plants. Occasionally two subjects are done on a page."

Roberts goes into great detail explaining the importance of these pictures and states that it is possible that these are "the first British drawings" of many species. "It is a very obvious suggestion that these drawings, manifestly executed with the greatest care and with every effort to be accurate, were done for a specific purpose, and wonders if they may not have been reproduced in some of the botanical or horticultural books of the period, with the artist's name suppressed and till now forgotten."

A group of watercolours by Philippa Crabtree were sold at Sotheby's London in November 1965.
An example of her work, depicting a Passion Flower, was sold at Christies, London, 19th May 1998, Books and Watercolours, Lot 16, hammer price £2,300.