Beatrix Potter: Drawn to Nature ★★★★ Victoria & Albert Museum | Feb 12, 2022 - Jan 8, 2023


Illustrator, storyteller, nature lover, conservationist, Beatrix Potter is a beloved figure and this exploration of her life and art is absolutely fascinating. Divided into five parts (Town and Country, Under the Microscope, A Natural Storyteller, Place as Inspiration and Living Nature) this is a wonderful introduction, or a delightful recollection, of why Potter's work has assumed the place it has in the imagination of both children and adults. From an early age, the creator of Peter Rabbit was a serious student of nature and did some wonderfully detailed drawings and watercolours. Her interest in mycology was serious and respected by her scientific contemporaries. Her youthful collecting of specimens was the harbinger of a curiosity and love of the natural world that was to be a lifelong passion. When she came to write and draw her unforgettable animal characters Potter did so with an authenticity and accuracy that gave them an enduring charm which never descended into the cute or the cloying. She respected both her subjects and her young readers and shared her love for nature in tales that have become classics. The curating of this exhibition mirrors Potter's own extraordinary attention to detail, and like her work it is designed to delight both children and adults. It succeeds in communicating the joy that Beatrix Potter found in nature and reflects the pleasure that generations of admirers have discovered in her creations.

Rated: ★★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Image: The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, Peter with handkerchief by Beatrix Potter, 1904. © National Trust images.

When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: Cromwell Rd, London SW7 2RL, UK

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