Breton, Adela, 1849-1923

Adela Breton, an English watercolor artist, is best known for her watercolor drawings of archaeological sites in Central America. From an early age, Adela's parents supported their daughter's education and artistic studies. Her father became fascinated by anthropology and geology and these fields soon captured Adela's interest as well. After her father's death in 1887, Adela launched a lifetime of travel to explore past cultures. Her most valuable contribution to archaeology was the recoding of murals in Yucatan, which she captured in paint before the air could alter their original colors. Through her diligent and skillful work, she became respected internationally as an archaeological copyist, researcher, and interpreter of the rapidly disappearing painted walls of ancient Mexico.

From the guide to the Breton, Adela, (1849-1923), Correspondence, 1915-1923, bulk: A Finding Aid, (Peabody Museum Archives, Harvard University)

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