A View from the Vault: Betty Boyd’s Watercolors

By Ashley Rye-Kopec, Museums

“A View from the Vault” is a new series that showcases some of the unique, notable or rare items that are a part of the Special Collections and Museums holdings at the University of Delaware. Each month, we will highlight a different work and share interesting facts or intriguing histories about it. If you are interested in seeing any of the materials featured in person or want to learn more about any work showcased in the series, please contact Special Collections and Museums at AskSpec or AskMuseums.

Lake Landscape by Elizabeth “Betty” Boyd

Elizabeth “Betty” Boyd

Lake Landscape (recto) and Trees By Lake (verso)

Undated (before 1968)

Watercolor on wove paper

12 ⅛ x 16 ⅛ inches

Museums Collections, Gift of Mrs. John Sloan

While some people may head to the ocean in the sweltering summer heat, others may opt to visit a peaceful lake, like the one seen in these watercolors. On the front, or recto, is an idyllic landscape containing trees, water and hills. In the middle ground, a single rower makes their way across the water. A sailboat appears further in the distance. Yet despite this activity, the picture still feels quiet – a serene escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Trees By Lake by Elizabeth “Betty” Boyd

On the back, or verso, of the paper is another watercolor featuring a summer scene. Here, there are two people fishing, probably at the same lake. Hills are again visible in the distance, although this time, the scene is dominated by the presence of several large trees – an ideal source of shade on a hot summer day.

Little is known about the artist, although she is likely the same Betty Boyd who was an early member of the Studio Group in Wilmington, Delaware. Founded in 1935, the Studio Group consisted of women who met regularly to make and discuss art. The group still meets weekly at the Howard Pyle studio on Franklin Street in Wilmington.

In 1992, the Studio Group organized a retrospective exhibition of the work of Helen Farr Sloan. An artist, educator, philanthropist and tireless promoter of the arts in Delaware, Helen Farr Sloan was also a significant donor to the University’s Museums. She donated more than 1,000 artworks over the span of several decades. Many, like this one, were created by female artists. Helen Farr Sloan’s gifts to the University will be the subject of an upcoming exhibition in spring 2024.

Thumbnail-sized images of copyrighted works are displayed under fair use. As a service to the public and the scholarly community, the Museums may make larger images of copyrighted works available in the online collection catalog. If you wish to use such images for commercial purposes, you must seek permission from the copyright holder.