Maria Martin

Maria (/mɝˈaɪə/ mah-RYE-uh) Martin Bachman (3 July 1796 – 27 December 1863) of Charleston, South Carolina, was an American watercolor painter and scientific illustrator. She contributed many of the background paintings for John James Audubon's The Birds of America (1831–39) and Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America (1845–48). Bachman was the only woman of the three principal assistants that Audubon employed at the time.

Early life Maria Martin Bachman was born July 6, 1796, in Charleston, South Carolina just two and half weeks after the “Great Fire of 1796” that destroyed many of the buildings and houses in the center of the city. Martin was the youngest of the four surviving children (Eliza, Harriet, and Jane) born to Jacob and Rebecca Martin, well-to-do mantua makers that owned two houses with household slaves. Martin's mother Rebecca Martin had learned from her second marriage that her husband could easily take legal ownership of her property and finances. Martin accompanied her brother-in-law, John Bachman, on several field excursions, including one trip to Niagara Falls, and learned how to make scientific descriptions and drawings of plants and animals. Martin had also been talented in the making of botanical sketches. In finding out about this talent, Audubon had introduced Martin to new methods, techniques and materials of posing birds, which would soon be added to Martin's botanical art pieces. They had soon created a work of art known as "The Birds of America". In the 1830s Audubon was a guest at the Bachman household during a trip to study bird species in the South. During his stay, Audubon encouraged Martin in her drawing and tutored her in natural illustration. After realizing Martin's artistic talent, Audubon supplied her with paint brushes and other art materials, and advice on how to use them to develop her talents. Audubon credited Martin with nine illustrations, but it is thought that she contributed to at least 30. Martin also provided illustrations to John Edwards Holbrook for publication in his work North American Herpetology.

Martin also assisted John Bachman in editing The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America, a collaboration between Bachman and Audubon, and later Audubon's son John Woodhouse Audubon. The importance of her contribution to Quadrupeds is discussed in a letter from John Bachman to John J. Audubon, saying Martin "knocks to the right and left with your articles and mine--lops off, corrects, criticizes, abuses and praises by turn" and "she does wonders". The website released an article titled "Meet Audubon’s Assistant Painter: Maria Martin Bachman", acknowledging Maria Martin's contributions to the work. The article states that Audubon acknowledged Martin's contributions to nine of the Birds of America prints, but it is thought she collaborated on over 30 of the prints. This exhibition displays some Audubon double-elephant-folio prints, as well as her personal work that was not included in Birds of America. The website acknowledges Martin as being known for her paintings of the detailed natural habitats in Audubon's works, as well as her "combination of scientific accuracy and artistic judgement." The exhibition ran from September 14, 2018, to June 23, 2019, in the Charleston Museum lobby.

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