A new exhibition titled "Chain of Flowers" opens at Norwich Castle on May 16, featuring works by Cambridge-based artist Miranda Boulton. The exhibition draws inspiration from pioneering 19th-century women artists Emily Stannard and Eloise Stannard, members of the Norwich School of Artists. Boulton retraced Emily Stannard's 1820s journey to the Netherlands to study Jan Van Huysum's paintings at the Rijksmuseum, creating a series of oil paintings that contrast the Dutch Golden Age's detailed style with thick impasto and spray paint.
The exhibition matters because it highlights the legacy of two overlooked female artists from the Norwich School—one of the largest 19th-century British art movements outside London—and connects their influence to contemporary practice. By juxtaposing Boulton's work with the Stannards' history, the show underscores how women artists from different centuries respond to similar influences, using floral motifs and paint to express their vision. It also brings attention to regional art history and the ongoing relevance of historical female practitioners.