Alice Jacob (1862-1921)
Angraecum arnoldianum, 1914
Watercolour heightened with white and pencil on paper
Courtesy of National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin
Alice Jacob was a lace designer, botanical illustrator, and art teacher. Her knowledge of plants inspired her textile designs. She was artist-in-resident at the National Botanic Gardens from 1908 to 1919, and made over 150 portraits of orchids including this example from western Africa. Jacob often included dissections and enlargements on a single sheet. She was involved in the Irish Arts and Crafts Movement and annotated her plant studies in Celtic script.
