September- Week 1

Written 05/09/2025, Edited 06/09/2025

Who am I studying?

So, this month I am studying an illustrator called Marjorie Miller.

Short biography

Well, I must admit there isn't a whole lot that is known about her. She was not really a public figure, (there is no public photo of her for one!) and it is pretty much thanks to the research of Ioanna Papadopoulou that there is any comprehensive information about Marjorie.

Just to very briefly summarise, Marjorie was likely born in 1898 and lived in various parts of England with her family (parents, two sisters and brother). In the 1920s she started studying art and at some point in that decade she was commisioned by magazines (like Tatler) to do her art pieces - I'm not sure if these were simply illustrations or if some were meant to be advertisements.

In 1935 she exhibited a watercolour painting at the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colour, which shows she had at least some recognition in the artist sphere.

Sadly, it seems that she struggled with mental illness and in 1936 (so she was only 38) it seems likely (based on information Ioanna Papadopoulou found), that she committed suicide by jumping in front of a lorry due to fearing she would be institutionalised (mental health treatment still has a long way to go unfortunately).

This isn't part of her biography but I find it very sad that (likely because she has a distinctive style but little name recognition) her art is so popular with AI slop websites. Looking up Marjorie Miller yielded so much AI 'art' I was so mad!! (It also only looks like hers at a glance, it smooths out the interesting parts of her art - like all AI 'art' does)

Why I chose her

I remember back when I actually used Twitter I remember following someone who posted art from various artists and Marjorie's work really stood out to me. I really liked the exaggerated art noveau style, but also despite the style there is this sense of bleakness (at least that's how I feel) and emptiness to her pieces that haunts me a little.

Examples of her work

Skinny woman wearing silver dress and barefoot walkin g a large black dog in the night. The background is a silhouette of many trees. — Queen Of The Night, 1931. I like the somewhat ominous feeling... Also the black of the dog makes it really stand out compared the rather washed out background.

A skinny woman in silver, with pale skin, standing on a glacier with a polar bear. There is a sliver of moon visible (a very thin crescent) — Illustration of a woman with a polar bear. I find it interesting the pose is similar to the previous picture (did she re-use the reference?). The posing and setting really make it feel very still though, compared to the motion of the previous image.

A little blue creature sitting on a cobweb that is between several plants — Cobwebs are really fairies hammocks, 1928. I rather enjoyed this whimsical picture! There is still a slight borboading feeling, due to the leaves browning, and the light colours of the sky contrasting with the dark shadows that have been placed underneath the cobweb and the grass in general. It's funny how with everything seeming so 'normal', the weird blue creature is just there and fits in with its environment (I guess fairies are a 'natural' thing?)

A woman in rags, but a very 1930s style made up face, is holding a bucket to feed three turkies. Behind is a tree with only a few brown leaves. — Illustration of a woman feeding turkeys. I know this was painted in the 1930s, but she looks like she has 'Instagram face'! Blonde layered hair, heavily made up, thick lips and somewhat vacant cat like eyes (these were also popular make up trends in the 1930s - fashion trends due tend to cycle around!). It does make her look very anachronistic compared to her outfit and the setting.

A woman in a poofy yellow dress with flower patterns is holding some blossom that is growing from a tree. It seems the sun is rising in the background. — Spring's Promise, 1930. I love how the yellow really subsumes everything else! And helps brighten up the image, which is fitting since this is meant to signify spring. But there's still the muddy sky in the background - Spring is showing promise but it has not come to full fruition.

A shepherdess is escorting two sheep through a forest that is on the cusp of blooming, in the evening - the moon is rising in the background — The Shepherdess, 1927. The forest feels really creepy here, but there is some hope as they are emerging OUT of it. A bit like the turkey image, her hairstyle seems anachronistic to her outfit (but feels more dated to the 1920s/30s rather than looking bizarrely modern to my 2025 eyes).

Link to more info about her

Well, there is pretty much only one article about her really. Which is this one,On Marjorie Millerby Ioanna Papadopoulou. There was alsothis onewhich was useful for finding titles for her artworks!