Detail of Magnolia by James Jebusa Shannon in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, January 2022

Title: Magnolia

Artist: James Jebusa Shannon (1862–1923)

Date: 1899

Culture: American

Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 71 5/8 x 39 1/4 in. (181.9 x 99.7 cm)

Credit Line: George A. Hearn Fund, 1913

Accession Number: 13.143.2


This painting shows the London-based artist’s daughter holding a sprig of magnolia blossoms, which in Victorian literature were often a sign of a character’s love of nature. The costume and the stylized fleur-de-lis motifs that decorate the green backdrop suggest a somewhat contrived presentation of the girl as a “dress-up” princess. The artist’s only child and one of his favorite models, Kitty Shannon (1887–1974) appears in many of his paintings. She later wrote several books, including an autobiography, published in 1933.

Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/12554