TCHEREPNINE–Jessica Elizabeth, Peacefully at home on December 31, 2018, at the age of 80 after a long illness. English by birth, she was the daughter of William Barclay Harris and Elizabeth Milnes Coates, and the devoted wife of Peter Tcherepnine for 45 years whom she met in New York and married in 1973. She was considered one of the best contemporary botanical artists and had lived in the States for the last 50 years. She started work at Christie’s in London in the Furniture Department, came to New York to work with John Richardson in what was then a small office, and stayed on mostly in the Oriental Department, helping the firm grow into a leading auction house. In 1982, she left to concentrate on her painting. Her work has been reproduced in numerous articles and books pertaining to botanical art. Numerous one-woman exhibitions have been held in London, New York, Paris, and Palm Beach, and her work has been exhibited in group shows around the world. Among the many collections that include her watercolors are the Hunt Institute in Pittsburgh, the Royal Horticultural Society, the Cohen Family Collection, the Shirley Sherwood Collection, the Benois Museum, Peterhof, St. Petersburg. She and her husband divided their time between their Manhattan apartment and their farm near Millbrook, NY, where, a very keen gardener, she painted many of her best works. Another place they frequented for many years was the island of Nevis in the West Indies, which resulted in many pictures of exotic tropical plants. She was a very active board member of the New York Horticultural Society for over 30 years and received the award of excellence at the annual luncheon in 2013 which she shared with Mario Buatta. She was also on the board of the American Friends of the Georgian Group until recently, and a founding member of the American Society of Botanical Artists. No dates have been set for memorial services. Donations may be made in her honor to The New York Horticultural Society, 148 West 37th Street #13, New York, NY 10018.
