Flowers pop up everywhere in Renaissance art. Why are there pinks in a pot above a Crivelli Madonna, roses scattered across Botticelli's Primavera and columbines in the borders of many a fifteenth-century manuscript? This is the first book to explore how and why flowers feature so extensively in the extraordinary art of the Renaissance. Choosing twenty favourite plants, the author introduces each and then describes and illustrates a number of wonderful examples. The new naturalism in Renaissance art makes every one clearly identifiable but there is also still a reason and meaning behind each chosen flower. Even their names can be loaded with meaning and the attributes of these flowers were well known to their original audience. Today we need to have these things explained - whether the flower is in a Tudor portrait, a tapestry, a Leonardo, a piece of jewellery or even on a plate or spoon. These flowers were valued by everyone from emperors to needlewomen: this delightful and revelatory book seeks out these hidden treasures and provides an unrivalled exploration of their beauty and their significance.

Table of Contents

Introduction The Renaissance garden Roses Lilies Irises Columbines Pinks and carnations Tulips Poppies and peonies Wallflowers and stocks Something bue The flower-strewn grass The daisy family Daffodils and narcissi Violas and violets Strawberries Thistles Conclusion

About the Author

Celia Fisher is both an art historian and a plantswoman. At the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, she researched the uses of plants worldwide before going on to study at the Courtauld Institute. There she specialised in the history of plants in art. She now lectures and identifies flowers in artworks for galleries and art historians. Her articles have appeared in art and gardening journals, including Apollo, Country Life and Hortus and she has written Flowers in the National Gallery for London's National Gallery and Medieval Flowers for the British Library. Her main relaxation is gardening and her town garden has been open under the National Gardens Scheme.

Reviews

This study is pleasurable as it is full of insight. Scotsman Today we need books like Fisher's to help us unlock the hidden messages behind the petals. Plaza Watch As pleasurable as it is full of insight. Scotsman Sumptuously illustrated, filled with fascinating details and esoteric information, this is a charming book for any garden, flower or art aficionado to dip into at leisure. A delight for anyone interested in the meaning of flowers in Renaissance art. Cassone

Fisher (The Medieval Flower Book) combines art history and botanical description to provide a fresh interpretation and floral reference for works of art from the 15th and 16th centuries. Included are not only northern and southern European Renaissance paintings, but illuminated manuscripts, tapestries, and a painted wedding chest. All the artwork is strewn with flora, and Fisher delves into the context of their social, economic, religious, and mythological themes. Book chapters concentrate on particular flowers, illustrating a reason for their symbolic depiction in the art. Some of the art will be familiar, e.g., Botticelli's Primavera, with its "profusion of flowers signifying the rebirth of the year," and the exquisite Lady and the Unicorn tapestries, featuring a symbolic virginal background of white columbines. The brief introduction explains the book's scope, and the conclusion reminds us that art was also employed in the rediscovery of the natural world. VERDICT The book is well balanced, carefully compiled, well written, accessible, and divinely illustrated. Lacking only a bibliography, it has an appealing thesis and will be valuable as a reference source for students, curators, art historians, florists, and botanists.-Ellen Bates, New York (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.