Cythna Letty

Who was Cythna Letty?

Cythna Lindenberg Letty, was a South African botanical artist and is regarded as a doyenne of South African botanical art by virtue of the quality and quantity of her meticulously executed paintings and pencil sketches, produced over a period of 40 years with the National Herbarium in Pretoria.

Cythna Letty is best remembered for her book "Wild Flowers of the Transvaal" which was published in 1962. When decimal currency was introduced in South Africa, she was asked to design the floral motifs for the 10, 20 and 50 cent coins. Besides painting she was an accomplished poet and published "Children of the Hours" when she was in her eighties.

Cythna was the eldest child of her mother Josina Christina Lindenberg's second marriage and was named after the heroine in Percy Shelley's poem 'The Revolt of Islam". The Lettys had five children and for many years the six children from Josina's first marriage were part of an extended, disciplined family. They were taught to play a number of musical instruments.

Cythna's father, Walter Edward Letty, had many career changes and the family were often uprooted. As a result Cythna attended a total of 13 schools, ending at the Pretoria Girls' High School. With the outbreak of World War I, Walter enlisted and served in France, and remained there after peace was declared. Josina supported the family by illustrating genealogical charts. Her artistic skills were passed on to a number of her children, but only Cythna had a passion for botanical subjects.