Jessie Arms Botke

Jessie Arms Botke (1883–1971) was one of the most celebrated decorative painters in early twentieth-century California art. Best known for her luminous bird paintings—often featuring white peacocks—set against richly patterned or gold-leaf grounds, Botke developed a highly recognizable style that bridges American Arts & Crafts, California modernism, and the decorative arts.

Working at a time when the art world was largely dominated by men, Botke achieved national recognition through discipline, originality, and an unwavering commitment to her craft. In 1931, Los Angeles Times critic Arthur Millier described her as “the greatest decorative painter of the West,” a reputation she maintained throughout her career.

William A. Karges Fine Art has extensive experience with the work of Jessie Arms Botke and other important California artists of the period, and serves as a trusted resource for collectors seeking strong examples of her work.

Artistic Style & Subject Matter

Botke’s work is best known for its strong decorative pattern, flattened compositions, and symbolic use of birds. Her interest in birds was formal rather than sentimental — she was drawn to their silhouettes, textures, and rhythmic placement within the picture plane. The white peacock, in particular, became her signature motif, prized for its dramatic contrast against dark or gilded grounds.

Her use of gold leaf, learned during her early work as a designer at Herter Looms in New York, became a defining feature of her mature style in the 1920s and 1930s. Paintings such as Peacock on Gold (1921) exemplify her synthesis of fine art and decorative design.

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Career & Recognition

Botke studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she embraced plein-air painting and decorative design. After extensive travel in Europe, she worked professionally in New York as a designer before relocating to California.

She settled first in Carmel, then later in Los Angeles and Ventura County, becoming an important figure in California’s vibrant art colonies. Her work was widely exhibited during her lifetime at leading institutions, including the National Academy of Design, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Art Institute of Chicago, and she maintained strong relationships with galleries and interior designers.

Botke received numerous awards throughout the 1930s and 1940s, including first prizes at the California State Fair and the Los Angeles County Fair. She continued painting and exhibiting actively into the 1960s.

Women Artists & Legacy

An outspoken advocate for women artists, Botke participated in suffrage marches in New York prior to World War I and maintained an egalitarian artistic partnership with her husband, artist Cornelis Botke. Their collaborative and supportive relationship was unusual for its time and contributed significantly to her productivity and success.

Today, Jessie Arms Botke is recognized as a key figure in American decorative painting, with works held in major museum and public collections and continued demand among collectors of California and American Arts & Crafts art.