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THE FLOWER HUNTER
60" X 48" Oil Painting
Early American Botanist William Bartram explores the East Florida Wilderness, 1774.
In the year 1773, a young man appeared in the Florida wilderness. He quietly went about the task of sketching and noting in his journal all of the many plants, flowers, and wildlife he encountered along the St. Johns River in the British colony of East Florida. His name was William Bartram, son of King George's Royal botanist in the American Colonies. Under the patronage of Dr. John Fothergill of London, William explored the Southeast, documenting his travels in words and pictures.
In his lifetime, Bartram associated with such notable Americans as Ben Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, who later asked Bartram to accompany the expedition of Lewis and Clark but he declined for reasons of health.
The solitary wanderer was content to exist among the rivers and backwoods, absorbed in his observations and recording his discoveries in his journal. He never married and his attempts at farming and business were unsuccessful. But the writings of this quiet, gentle man revealed the wonders of an unknown land to all who read his accounts. In a time when to wander away from the safety of the white man's settlements was to invite peril at the hands of hostile Indians, this peaceful man was left unharmed as he made his way through the hunting grounds of the warriors, observing in wonder the man they called "Puc Puggy," "The Flower Hunter." |