Drawing of Mary Butts by Jean Cocteau

Jean Cocteau (1889-1963) was a French artist, poet, filmmaker, and close friend of Mary Butts (Wikipedia).

Drawing of Mary Butts by Anika Luteijn

Created on December 1st, 2022, by Anika Luteijn (UVic) using specialized sketching pencils.

Painting of Mary Butts by Cedric Morris

Sir Cedric Morris (1889-1982) was a British artist and plantsman (Wikipedia).

Ink Portrait of Mary Butts

Created on November 27, 2022 using Micron ink pens.

This portrait of Mary Butts is based on a 1919 photo portrait taken by English portrait photographer Bertram Park. When crafting this work, I decided to use ink rather than pencil or coloured mediums as I did not want to fabricate details of Butts' appearance – such as her skin tone, natural blush, exact hair shade, etc. – that are not readily known. I felt as though doing so would distract from the mystery of Butts. While there is information on Butts (as seen in this exhibit and otherwise) she is like anything or anyone else from the past; a mystery that in many ways we can only theorize on. I like to think that Butts would get a kick out of knowing that today she is a bit of a mystery – an oddity that will never be fully understood. Therefore, I present you with a monochrome portrait of a woman who was anything but black and white.

- Cameron Bolduc (UVic)