A sibling pair of colonial artists whose butterfly paintings helped shape Australian science will be brought vividly back to life in Sydney in September in an ambitious new theatrical production blending live period-instrument performance, animation, drama and archival material as part of the State Library of New South Wales’ 200th anniversary celebrations.

Created by Australian Haydn Ensemble artistic director Skye McIntosh, The Scott Sisters: Pioneers of Science and Art traces the lives of 19th-century natural history illustrators Harriet and Helena Scott through almost a century of Australian history.

Performed in the Library itself, the immersive work draws on letters, manuscripts, books and artworks preserved in the Library’s collections to tell a story that extends well beyond two remarkable women to encompass science, family, collecting and the preservation of knowledge.

Skye McIntosh. Photo © Daniel Boud

“I’ve been captivated by Harriet and Helena Scott’s moth and butterfly illustrations for many years,” McIntosh says. “They possess an extraordinary combination of scientific precision and artistic beauty that remains just as striking today as it was more than 150 years ago.”

The production began life as a comparatively modest concert inspired by the sisters’ celebrated illustrations for...