A Life in Watercolor Born in 1828 in Watertown, Massachusetts, Ellen Robbins was the youngest child of a factory owner. Following the death of her father and the subsequent burning of his factory, Robbins turned to watercolor painting to help support her family. While she received some training from Stephen Salisbury Tuckerman, she was largely self-taught. Her skill in botanical illustration became widely recognized, particularly for h…
Scroll through Ellen Robbins's working life — artwork by artwork, chapter by chapter — from the earliest dated work to the last. Each thumbnail is pinned at its exact year on the gold axis.
The ribbon is divided into shaded bands, one per career chapter. Each chapter groups Ellen Robbins's works by their historical period — early training, mature practice, final years.
Every thumbnail is pinned at its precise creation year. A thin gold thread drops from the image to its exact point on the axis. Larger frames mark the artist's masterpieces by rank.
The gradient bar beneath the axis shifts colour as the dominant art movement changes over time — from the warm golds of the early period through the deeper tones of maturity. It fills progressively as you scroll.