Celia Rosser
Encyclopedia
Celia Elizabeth Rosser is a renowned Australia
n botanical illustrator
, best known for having published The Banksias
, a three-volume series of monographs containing watercolour paintings of every Banksia
species.
Born Celia Elizabeth Prince in 1930, she began painting Australian wildflowers early in her artistic career. She first began painting Banksias after seeing a Banksia serrata
near her home in Orbost, Victoria
. Her first exhibition was at Leveson Gallery in Melbourne
in 1965, and included three watercolours of Banksia species. Two years later she published Wildflowers of Victoria.
In 1970, Rosser was appointed Science Faculty Artist at Monash University
. She illustrated Peter Bridgewater's The Saltmarsh Plants of Southern Australia and The Mosses of Southern Australia by George Scott and Ilma Stone. In 1974 she was appointed University Botanical Artist, and began the project of painting every Banksia species. The project took over 25 years to complete, and resulted in the publication of a three volume monograph entitled The Banksias, with accompanying text by Alex George
. Publication of the final volume in 2000 represented the first time that such a large genus has been entirely painted.
In 1977 she was awarded the Linnaean Society of London's Jill Smythies Award for botanical illustration, and in 1995 was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia
. Monash University awarded her an honorary Master of Science degree in 1981, and an honorary PhD in 1999.
with deeply lobed leaves and a prostrate
habit was registered as a cultivar
by Alf Salkin under the names "Banksia 'Celia Rosser'" and "Banksia canei 'Celia Rosser'".
In 2001, Peter Olde and Neil Marriott published a description of a new Banksia species from the arid shrubland of Western Australia
, naming it Banksia rosserae
in Rosser's honour.
Since 2002, the Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
have awarded the "Celia Rosser Medal for Botanical Art" to outstanding exhibitors at their "The Art of Botanical Illustration" exhibition.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n botanical illustrator
Botanical illustrator
A botanical illustrator is a person who paints, sketches or otherwise illustrates botanical subjects such as trees and flowers. The job requires great artistic skill, attention to fine detail, and technical botanical knowledge...
, best known for having published The Banksias
The Banksias
The Banksias, by Celia Rosser, is a three-volume series of monographs containing paintings of every Banksia species. Its publication represented the first time such a large genus had been entirely painted by a single botanical artist. It has been described as "one of the outstanding botanical works...
, a three-volume series of monographs containing watercolour paintings of every Banksia
Banksia
Banksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and heads. When it comes to size, banksias range from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up...
species.
Born Celia Elizabeth Prince in 1930, she began painting Australian wildflowers early in her artistic career. She first began painting Banksias after seeing a Banksia serrata
Banksia serrata
Banksia serrata, commonly known as Old Man Banksia, Saw Banksia, Saw-tooth Banksia and Red Honeysuckle, is a species of woody shrub or tree of the genus Banksia in the Proteaceae family. Native the east coast of Australia, it is found from Queensland through to Victoria with outlying populations on...
near her home in Orbost, Victoria
Orbost, Victoria
Orbost is a town in the Shire of East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, located east of Melbourne and south of Canberra where the Princes Highway crosses the Snowy River. It is about from the town of Marlo on the coast of Bass Strait. At the 2006 census, Orbost had a population of 2452...
. Her first exhibition was at Leveson Gallery in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in 1965, and included three watercolours of Banksia species. Two years later she published Wildflowers of Victoria.
In 1970, Rosser was appointed Science Faculty Artist at Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
. She illustrated Peter Bridgewater's The Saltmarsh Plants of Southern Australia and The Mosses of Southern Australia by George Scott and Ilma Stone. In 1974 she was appointed University Botanical Artist, and began the project of painting every Banksia species. The project took over 25 years to complete, and resulted in the publication of a three volume monograph entitled The Banksias, with accompanying text by Alex George
Alex George
Alexander Segger George is a Western Australian botanist. He is the authority on the plant genera Banksia and Dryandra...
. Publication of the final volume in 2000 represented the first time that such a large genus has been entirely painted.
In 1977 she was awarded the Linnaean Society of London's Jill Smythies Award for botanical illustration, and in 1995 was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
. Monash University awarded her an honorary Master of Science degree in 1981, and an honorary PhD in 1999.
Legacy
In March 1978 a chance seeding of Banksia caneiBanksia canei
The mountain banksia is a species of shrub in the plant genus Banksia. It occurs in subalpine areas of the Great Dividing Range between Melbourne and Canberra in southeastern Australia...
with deeply lobed leaves and a prostrate
Subshrub
A subshrub or dwarf shrub is a short woody plant. Prostrate shrub is a similar term.It is distinguished from a shrub by its ground-hugging stems and lower height, with overwintering perennial woody growth typically less than 10–20 cm tall, or by being only weakly woody and/or persisting...
habit was registered as a cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
by Alf Salkin under the names "Banksia 'Celia Rosser'" and "Banksia canei 'Celia Rosser'".
In 2001, Peter Olde and Neil Marriott published a description of a new Banksia species from the arid shrubland of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, naming it Banksia rosserae
Banksia rosserae
Banksia rosserae is a recently described species of Banksia. Endemic to inland Western Australia, it is the only Banksia species to occur solely within the arid zone.-Description:...
in Rosser's honour.
Since 2002, the Friends of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne are internationally renowned botanical gardens located near the centre of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on the south bank of the Yarra River. They are 38 hectares of landscaped gardens consisting of a mix of native and non-native vegetation including over...
have awarded the "Celia Rosser Medal for Botanical Art" to outstanding exhibitors at their "The Art of Botanical Illustration" exhibition.