Emma Beach Thayer

Emma Beach Thayer (1849–1924), American, Emma Beach Thayer, an American artist celebrated for her exquisite floral paintings, was born in New York City in 1849 into a family of notable figures. Her father, Moses S. Beach, and her mother, Chloe Buckingham, were part of a lineage that included her grandfather, Moses Yale Beach, and uncles Alfred Ely Beach and William Yale Beach, alongside her brother, the businessman Charles Yale Beach. Thayer's artistic contributions extended beyond her floral works; she was also credited by the Smithsonian American Art Museum for creating studies that illustrated 'Concealing Coloration in the Animal Kingdom.' Among her notable works, 'The Cotton-Tail Rabbit among Dry Grasses and Leaves' from 1904, housed at the Brooklyn Museum, showcases her keen eye for detail and nature.
In her personal life, Thayer became the second wife of Abbott Handerson Thayer, a prominent painter, and stepmother to Gerald Handerson Thayer, also an artist, blending her life with one of America's distinguished artistic families. Her marriage connected her to the Thayer family's legacy in the arts, further embedding her within a circle of creative influence. Emma Beach Thayer's life and work were deeply intertwined with the natural world and the artistic movements of her time, leaving a legacy that continues to be appreciated. She passed away in Peekskill, New York, in 1924, leaving behind a body of work that captures the beauty and intricacy of the natural environment.