In Celebration of Flowers

Topical online lecture from the National Gallery on flowers in art to mark Mother’s Day in the UK.

Lydia Bauman led us through 10 pictures from the collection and one more contemporary piece explaining the symbolism of flowers in each of them and how that changed over time.

We started with one of my favourites shown here by Gerard David from 1510 of the Virgin and Child with saints in an enclosed garden and ended with a Georgia O’Keefe of a single flower. On the way we touched on Bronzino, Claud, Van Gogh and, of course, some 17th century Dutch flower arrangements.

I would have liked a bit more depth on some of the works rather than this whirl wind tour but it gave me a different view of some familiar works and a desire to know more.

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