Mary Delany’s paper flowers: An extraordinary story of reinvention at 72

Celebrating the Paper

Mary Delany reinvented herself at the age of 72, when she became a widow, struggling with financial issues and not knowing what to do next.

One day, in 1770’s, her friend, the Duchess of Portland, invited her to live at her estate. What a lifesaver. Delany couldn’t believe her luck, and now she had a roof over her head.

Mary Delany began creating her delicate flower collages as a hobby at the Duchess’s house.

The Duchess of Portland loved the artwork and showed it to her friends, who started buying them and spreading the word.

These collages are now part of the British Museum’s collection. 

I love this story!

I was going through my own reinvention when I stumbled on Mary Delany

It’s so hard to restart or reinvent our lives after 40, 50, or 60, so when I read about Mary starting her life again in her 70s and doing so with paper flowers, I just had to buy her book.

Mary Delany loved doing her paper flowers and I imagine that her paper collages were the perfect hobby for a lady in the 1700’s. I wonder is she ever thought she would be selling them.

I hear over and over that we should do what we know and what we like. Great advice.

But to have a hobby become a business and then end up in a museum is something else. That is inspiring. I felt I should not give up on my watercolours and photography.

Does art imitate life or the other way around?

How do you feel about paper flowers? Many people don’t like paper imitations of nature. I love them.

These flowers aren’t all trying to imitate nature and many are used to create new fun forms. They are not made to decorate a corner nor are they just for a vase and made to last. Many of these flowers are bold and have great presence.

Nature is their muse.

Mary Delany’s obsession isn’t as rare as you’d think. Paper flowers are still celebrated as serious art, including at a festival I stumbled into when I lived in Portugal.

Festas do Povo de Campo Maior: The paper flower festival in Portugal

I went to the flower festival in Campo Maior when I lived in Elvas. I didn’t know what to expect but my neighbor described it with such enthusiasm, I just had to go.

I arrived early to avoid the crowd and the heat. When I walked onto the main street of the festival, my mood changed completely.

I was surrounded by flowers, and I was shaded by the paper flowers above me. The streets looked so beautiful.

There were larger than-life flowers, daily-life-themed tableaux hung on stalls, and people were still hanging their art. Everyone was chatting and rushing to finish their stalls.

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