13 Facts About Jemima Blackburn

Jemima Wedderburn Blackburn was a Scottish painter whose work illustrated rural life in 19th-century Scotland.

Jemima Blackburn achieved widespread recognition under the initials JB or her married name Mrs Hugh Blackburn.

Jemima Blackburn was the youngest child of James Wedderburn, Solicitor General for Scotland, who died some months before her birth, and Isabella Clerk, whose family were holders of the baronetcy of Clerk of Penicuik.

On her mother's side, Jemima Blackburn was the first cousin of James Clerk Maxwell, who lived with her family in Edinburgh when he was a schoolboy and she a young woman; she encouraged him to learn to draw.

Jemima Blackburn was a friend and pupil of John Ruskin and Sir Edwin Landseer, both of whom praised her work highly.

Jemima Blackburn married mathematician Hugh Blackburn, and they bought the Roshven estate in 1854.

Jemima Blackburn became one of the leading bird painters of the day.

Jemima Blackburn was a keen observer of bird behaviour, as evidenced by her writings.

Jemima Blackburn describes the ejection of nestling meadow pipits by a blind and naked hatchling common cuckoo, accompanied by a small drawing.

Jemima Blackburn's account was originally published in a popular narrative for children, The Pipits in 1871.

Jemima Blackburn's works have been exhibited in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London and examples have been acquired by the British Museum, the British Library, the Natural History Museum, Royal Collection, the National Portrait Gallery, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and the James Clerk Maxwell Foundation.

In 1868 Jemima Blackburn published Birds drawn from Nature, which won immediate public acclaim.

Potter recalls her delight when given a copy of Jemima Blackburn's Birds drawn from Nature on her tenth birthday.