April 4–September 27, 2026

The study of plants is inherently visual, from making botanical illustrations to observing and identifying plants in the wild to collecting and preserving plant specimens. Organized in collaboration with Vassar’s Biology department and the Vassar Herbarium, this single-room exhibition explores the relationship between plant science and image making, considering how artists participate in the study of plants and how botanists use images as scientific tools. The intertwined histories of art and plant science reveal how gender roles, new technologies, and layered media have shaped both fields. Traditionally a scientific pursuit more open to women than most, botany is often practiced outside of formal laboratory settings. Some of the most important innovations in plant science have been made by women, such as British botanist Anna Atkins’s pathbreaking use of photography to make botanical illustrations in the mid-nineteenth century. Here at Vassar, Professor Edith Roberts established one of the first ecological laboratories and pioneered the use of electron microscopy to study plants in the early twentieth century. Many artists have drawn inspiration from plants and their scientific study, and in doing so, have impacted scientific practices. This exhibition considers an array of visual contributions to plant science, both formal and informal, featuring photography, painting, and drawing alongside books and other archival material.

The Botanist at Vassar was organized by Jessica Brier, curator of photography, in collaboration with the Vassar Herbarium and Biology Department.

This exhibition is generously supported by the Mellon Foundation and the Hoene Hoy Photography Fund.