Yellow Bell (Fritillaria pudica) Watercolor

Archive

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St. Joseph Museums

Name/Title

Yellow Bell (Fritillaria pudica) Watercolor

Entry/Object ID

2021.1.57 A

Scope and Content

Yellow Bell (Fritillaria pudica) Watercolor, framed. The Yellow Bell, a very small perennial, is native to the eastern side of the Cascades from British Columbia to northern California and through the intermountain area south to New Mexico. Grasslands, sagebush deserts and conifer forests serve as the Yellow Bell habitat. The plant, also known as Johnny-Jump-Up Fritillary, Yellow Mission Bell or Yellow Fritillary, is usually three to six inches tall. The bright yellow, bell-shaped flowers turn a purplish red color as they age.

Context

Originally designed by the St. Joseph Museum in the fall of 2004. Titled "Botanical Wonders of the Uncharted West. The Recorded Flora of the Lewis & Clark Expedition."

Collection

Lewis and Clark

Lexicon

LOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials

Botanical drawings, Expeditions & surveys

Archive Items Details

Title

Yellow Bell (Fritillaria pudica) Watercolor

Creator

Mary L. Fletcher

Date(s) of Creation

2004

Subjects

Plants, Watercolor paintings

Dimensions

Width

23 in

Length

27 in

Parts

Count

2

Parts

Watercolor of plant and descriptive label, both framed.

Condition

Overall Condition

Very Good

Web Links and URLs

Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery

Provenance

Notes

"Botanical Wonders of the Uncharted West" visually depicts how well Lewis followed Jefferson's instructions. In recognition of this achievement, The S. Joseph Museums, Inc. commissioned accomplished artist Mary Fletcher to create fifty (50) selected paintings of flora documented by the Corps during their Journey. These framed watercolor originals are accompanied by similarly framed labels, generated by former Head of Research Jackie Lewin, which describe the corresponding plants with appropriate quotations from the Journals. This collection makes available for study and appreciation plants that were new to Lewis and Clark, but which Native Peoples already recognized as valuable sources of food, medicine, and tools. Some of these still remain a mystery to many, but all will enjoy their beauty, their diverse uses, and their accomplished renderings.