Jeanne Filler Scott

Springfield, Kentucky

“The monarchs have been on the earth for almost two million years, but human activity is killing them. I hope my art will inspire others to conserve and protect the monarch butterfly, as well as the myriad other species that depend on milkweed.”

In Milkweed Sanctuary, Jeanne Filler Scott depicts a lively scene in which an adult monarch butterfly, a monarch caterpillar, milkweed bugs, a soldier beetle, and a spotted cucumber beetle converge on milkweed plants. She invites us to explore the monarch’s habitat by painting in detail the plants and activity in the foreground, while the background field and trees recede into the distance. Filler Scott utilizes a realistic style reminiscent of Dutch vanitas paintings. In vanitas paintings, Dutch painters incorporated butterflies to remind us of the fleeting nature of life. Filler Scott’s butterfly has a different message, highlighting the need for preserving the monarch and their habitat.