Maria Morris Miller | The Canadian Encyclopedia

Article

Maria Morris Miller

Maria Frances Ann Morris Miller, botanical artist, teacher, poet (born 1813 in Guysborough, Nova Scotia; died 1875 in Halifax, Nova Scotia). Maria Morris Miller was the first Nova Scotian woman to gain recognition as a professional artist. Miller published four series of botanical lithographs from 1840 to 1867 and created some of the earliest botanical sketches in Canada. Miller’s work received international praise; Queen Victoria granted her royal patronage, after Miller gifted certain illustrations to her Majesty. A collection of Miller’s works was also displayed at the International Paris Exposition in 1867.

Pickerel Weed and Common Arrowhead

Early Life and Education

Maria Morris Miller was born in 1810 in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, to a prominent family. Her father, Guy Morris, belonged to a successful merchant family, and her mother, Sybella Morris (née Leggett), was a teacher. In 1813, Miller’s father passed away, and her mother moved her and her brother, James, to Halifax. Miller grew up in a family that supported women in education. When Sybella noticed Miller’s aptitude for art, she hired a professional artist to give her private lessons. Beginning in 1828, Miller studied art at Dalhousie College under the painters J. E. Acres, W. H. Jones, and Professor L’Estrange.

Early Career (1830–40)

From 1830 to 1833, Miller taught drawing and painting to women at a school that was run by her mother. In 1833, she opened her own drawing school in the family home while completing her studies with L’Estrange.

Miller began working on a collection of botanical illustrations in 1834. In their book, From Women’s Eyes: Women Painters in Canada, authors Dorothy Farr and Natalie Luckyj lauded Miller’s illustrations for “their detail, intensity of colour and perfect placement on the page.” Titus Smith, a renowned local scientist and secretary of the Central Board of Agriculture for Nova Scotia, encouraged Miller to draw Nova Scotian wildflowers.

Miller’s work became widely known in the colony. In 1836, Lady Campbell, wife of the lieutenant-governor of Nova Scotia, Sir Colin Campbell, purchased an album of her illustrations. Her first series of hand-painted lithographs, titled Wild Flowers of Nova Scotia, was published in England in 1840 with scientific notes by Smith. Miller gifted approximately 30 drawings from the series to Queen Victoria, which were presented to her Majesty by Sir Colin Campbell. The Queen, who was a noted collector and supporter of the arts, granted royal patronage to Miller.

Did you know?
Royal patronage is a significant honour that adds status to an organization or individual. As of 2023, nearly 100 Canadian organizations enjoy royal patronage.


Artist Maria Frances Ann Morris Miller

Personal Life

Maria Morris Miller married Garrett Trafalgar Nelson Miller in 1840 at the age of 27, the same year her first lithograph series was published. Garrett was a wealthy merchant, and both the Miller and Morris families were socially prominent in Halifax. Maria and Garrett had three sons and two daughters over 10 years, and Maria took a break from her work during that time to raise her family.

Later Career (1850–75)

After the birth of her children, Maria Morris Miller returned to teaching. By 1852, she had reopened her school in Halifax. While teaching, Miller began her second series of botanical lithographs. Her second series, also titled Wild Flowers of Nova Scotia, was published in 1853 with scientific notes by then Secretary of Agriculture of Nova Scotia Dr. Alexander Forrester.

Miller’s talent extended beyond drawing and painting. In 1856, Miller and her sister, Catherine Morris, published a volume of poetry titled Metrical Musings. The text was published in New York.

Her third series, titled Wild Flowers of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, was published in 1866. Professor George Lawson, who founded the Botanical Society of Canada in 1860, provided the scientific notes. Like the scientists who provided notes in Miller’s earlier two works, Lawson went on to serve as the Secretary of Agriculture for Nova Scotia. Miller’s collaboration with reputable scientists and secretaries of agriculture emphasizes the duality of her work as equal parts art and botanical science. (See also Botany History.)

Miller’s fourth and final lithograph series, titled Wildflowers of British North America, was printed in 1867, although less is known about this series. It was released the same year Miller’s work was presented at the International Exposition in Paris. Miller maintained her teaching career during this time and remained an advisor to her school until 1872.

Death

Maria Morris Miller’s death was well-documented in the press due to her status as a well-known artist. She passed away in Halifax in 1875.

Actoea Alba & Rubra, Red and White Baneberry

Legacy

Over the course of her career, Miller produced a total of 99 sheets detailing 146 species of flowers from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Eastern Canada. Her work gained international recognition and was particularly praised in London, England. She produced some of Canada’s earliest botanical sketches and remains Nova Scotia’s first female professional artist to gain recognition. To this day, the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History in Halifax holds a large collection of Miller’s paintings and lithographs. Her work can also be found at The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick Museum, National Gallery of Canada and Royal Collections Trust (UK). Miller’s work not only contributed to the knowledge of Canada’s botanical history but also blazed a trail for future female professional artists to work outside the home.

External Links