Rosa Fiveash

Rosa Catherine Fiveash was born on 22 July 1854 in Adelaide, becoming the youngest child of businessman and superintendent of the Blinman and Yudanamutana copper mines Robert Archibald Fiveash and his wife Margaret, née Rees. From 1881 to 1888 she studied at the Adelaide School of Art. While studying under Harry Pelling Gill, Principal, and Louis Tannert, Master of the School of Painting, Fiveash chose painting of Australian flora as her specialization. Achieving high grades, she gained her art teacher's certificate from the Adelaide School of Art in 1888, and three years later, received accreditation from South Kensington in London. After graduation Fiveash taught art privately and at Tormore House School in North Adelaide for many years. Apart from a trip to England in 1901, Fiveash lived all her life with her unmarried sister in the family house in North Adelaide. She remained unmarried herself, dedicating her life to illustrating South Australian flora. Rosa Catherine Fiveash died on 13 February 1938 in Adelaide and was buried in West Terrace Cemetery. == Work ==

In 1882 Fiveash was commissioned by the government conservator of forests John Ednie Brown to illustrate Forest Flora of South Australia. After painting Fiveash's works were prepared for lithography by the South Australian Government lithographer Haucourt Barrett, who received a smaller share of credit comparing to Fiveash. Fiveash finished nearly 70 plates for Brown when the project fell through due to the lack of money. Fiveash's next commission was to illustrate the paper by Professor Edward C. Stirling Description of a New Genus and Species of Masupialia, Notorycytes Typhlops published in 1891. Their collaboration spanned thirty years. == Exhibitions ==

• 1888 – Adelaide School of Art, Adelaide • 1994 – South Australian Women Artists: paintings from the 1890 to the 1940, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide == Collections ==

• State Library of South Australia • Botanic Gardens of Adelaide and State Herbarium, Adelaide, SA == List of illustrated books ==

• 1890 – The Forest Flora of South Australia • 1906 – Orchid paintings • 1911 – An Introduction to the Study of South Australian Orchids • 1922 – Flora of South Australia • 1926 – Illustrated Australian Encyclopaedia • 1974 – Australian Orchids • 1982 – ''Rosa Fiveash's Australian orchids: a collection of paintings by Rosa Catherine Fiveash'' • 1982 – ''Rosa Fiveash's Australian orchids'' • 2017 – ''Angela Valamanesh: everybody's everything: insect/orchid: 20 August -1 October 2017'' (about artist Angela Valamanesh) == References ==