Jean Cooke: Ungardening
The Garden Museum presents the magnificent garden paintings of Jean Esme Oregon Cooke RA.
The Garden Museum presents the magnificent garden paintings of Jean Esme Oregon Cooke RA.
Daily 10am–5pm. Last entry one hour before closing
21 Jun - 11 Sept 2023
Tickets £14. Concessions for pensioners, students, kids, Art Pass holders. Kids under 6 free.
This summer the Garden Museum presents the first exhibition focusing on the magnificent garden paintings of Jean Esme Oregon Cooke RA (1927-2008).
Cooke was not a conventional gardener, once listing “ungardening” as her hobby in Who’s Who. But she was very reliant upon her gardens for the emotional support and creative inspiration they provided. Bringing together Cooke’s lyrical garden paintings and expressive portraiture, this exhibition is an opportunity to discover rarely-seen works by a historically underrated artist.
The exhibition explores Cooke’s paintings of her gardens: a wild, overgrown city plot in Blackheath, London and a clifftop meadow at her coastal Sussex cottage, and includes paintings of trees, flowers, meadows, wildflowers and Cooke’s beloved doves.
Over 30 works are on display, including newly discovered paintings from both public and private collections, compromising the in-depth analysis of Cooke’s life and art to date.