An exhibition of the Flower Fairies artwork by Cicely Mary Barker prompted two Swanage women to make the trip to Bournemouth to see the original sweet pea painting that they modelled for as children.
When cousins Judith and Jessie contacted the staff at the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum to tell them of their connection, they were invited to a special viewing of the Flower Fairies: Enchantment by the Sea exhibition.
Jessie (left) and Judith (right) at the exhibition with the original Sweet Pea Fairies painting
Artwork depicts Swanage, Corfe Castle, and Worth Matravers
The exhibition includes the Flower Fairies artwork, alongside sketches, notebooks and landscapes depicting Swanage, Corfe Castle, Worth Matravers, and other locations along the South Coast.
However the most interesting exhibit for Jessie and Judith, was the original painting of the Sweet Pea Fairies which they posed for in the Swanage home of their aunt Lou in Queen’s Road.
Judith remembers posing to tie baby Jessie’s bonnet
Lifelong connection with Swanage
The Flower Fairies creator Cicely Mary Barker had a lifelong connection with Swanage, staying here on holiday with her family as a child, combing the beach for shells, and exploring the woods at Durlston.
As an adult, Cicely continued to spend holidays in Swanage and on several occasions stayed with Emma Louisa Davis or aunt Lou as she was known to Judith and Jessie.
Jessie was just a toddler at the time, while Judith was a few years older. Judith remembers spending time with Cicely at aunt Lou’s home and posing alongside her younger cousin for the Sweet Pea Fairies illustration. Judith said:
“I remember pretending to tie the bow on Jessie’s bonnet.”
Unlike many of Cicely’s child models, who posed in her Croydon studio with costumes and props, Judith and Jessie were sketched in Swanage.
It’s not known how Cicely and aunt Lou, a renowned breeder of Buttermere Cairn Terriers, became friends but it’s thought that their shared love of dogs may have introduced them to each other.
A teenage Cicely Mary Barker was already sending her work to publishers
This image of Cicely looking for shells on Swanage Beach was later turned into a picture postcard to help fund her art studies
“Rare moments when history comes vividly to life”
During the visit to the exhibition, Judith was also shown a watercolour sketch of herself from one of Cicely’s original sketchbooks in the archive of the book publisher Frederick Warne and Co Ltd.
Programmes officer at the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Helen Ivaldi said:
“Meeting Judith and Jessie was one of those rare moments when history comes vividly to life. To hear their memories of sitting for Cicely Mary Barker and to see them reunited with the original Sweet Pea Fairies artwork after so many years was incredibly moving.
“Their story offers a fascinating glimpse into the real children behind some of the nation’s most beloved Flower Fairies and highlights Cicely’s special connection to the Dorset Coast.”
The exhibition continues at the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum until Sunday 4th October 2026.
A view from Church Hill, Swanage, drawn by Cicely Mary Barker in the autumn of 1920
The popularity of Flower Fairies continues to grow
Further information
- More about the exhibition on the Russell-Cotes website
