in Art & Antiques
Spring Flowers
FFloral forms
The Italian master, Sandro Botticelli sprinkled one hundred and
forty-one different floral varieties beneath the feet of his famous
Neo-Platonic figures in the tempera painting on panel from circa
1470-80s. The figures in the painting, which hangs in Florence
Italy’s famous Uffizi Gallery, include Venus the Roman goddess
of love and gardens, Cupid, Mercury, Flora among others and
was intended for the master bedroom suite of the Medici Palace.
Flowers in art and antiques offer varied symbolism…love, fidelity,
prosperity to name a few. For instance, a rose’s association
with pure love comes from the Bible’s description of the Virgin
Mary as a “rose without thorns”. The carnation featured in one
of Rembrandt van Rijn’s most famous portraits--the portrait of
Jan Six with a Pink—speaks to the hope for fidelity or loyalty in
a new marriage. When it comes to signs of prosperity, the welldocumented
tulipomania which took place in the Netherlands
during the 1600s resulted in a new group of collectors from the
upper and middle classes as well as a host of new hybrid types
of tulips like the bearded tulip and the broken or striped tulip
for gardeners. It follows that tulips would become a visual symbol
of prosperity. The popular tulip and other floral still lifes of
the Dutch Baroque age were highly sought after by art collectors
and in today’s active art market, Dutch floral still lifes by the
masters such as Willem Heda, Rachel Rauysch or Cornelius de
Heem are quite expensive.
Hidden meanings are typical when flowers are highlighted in art
and antiques. For example, flowers with sitters in paintings suggest
their current situation. The appearance of a sprig of rosemary
or a forget-me-not clued the viewer into the fact that the
sitter shown in a painting was deceased. White flowers meant
purity while red flowers referenced passion.
When it comes to antiques, like artwork, flowers have made their
mark, too. In the early 1800s, the seeds of a new nation had been
planted in America. Decorative arts featured straight lines and
geometric elements that reflected a revival of classicism known
as the American Federal style. Classical forms and its emphasis
on formality did not discount the appearance of flower forms.
Buds appeared on Chippendale, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton furniture
in the form of recessed rosettes, ancathus leaf sprays, and
meandering garlands. From straight carved wooden legs known
as spade legs to floral decorated drawer pulls, furniture embellishments
were found in the form of leafy scrolls, daisies, roses,
mums, and other garden life. Some flowers in art and antiques
speak volumes about a particular time period and contemporary
taste. This Spring as you consider your plantings and yardwork,
remember various floral symbols also had a big impact on the
history of artwork.
www.EliteEquestrianMagazine.com 37
have long had a
prominent place
in the fine arts
and antiques.
The art historical
symbolism
of flowers from
asters to zinnias
has intrigued
collectors since
the Renaissance
period.
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