Honey Bees and Flowers

This is the second of two wonderful pieces I found by the artist Olive E. Whitney from her time spent working for Louis Prang publishing. It appears that this particular piece was a part of a proof sheet – the original appears to have cut and bleed lines marked as well as the colors used. Both of these pieces appear to date from 1886.

Whitney is identified as being one of the premier artists among those known to have worked at Prang and yet there’s very little information on her. I found a genealogy site that listed an artist named Olive E. Whitney on the death rolls for 1903. So, it might be her and it might not be. In other words, I’m fairly certain that this work is in the public domain but it is up to you to verify that is truly the case.

This work, like it’s mate Honey Bee with Cherry Blossoms, includes a branch from a cherry tree in full bloom. This version has more red among the flowers and has three honey bees instead of one. As you can see it is in full color but is a bit subdued in overall appearance. It reminds me of some of the wonderfully simple, yet complex, pieces associated with Japan.

honey-bee-cherry-blossoms-2

This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.