Flowers in Art

 Floral symbolism has long been a source of inspiration for artists. For example, in Ancient Egypt, the sacred lotus, a symbol of resurrection, adorned temples and pyramids, while in Ancient Greece, hawthorn was associated with love

  Even today, art experts are still figuring out what flowers meant in old paintings. In medieval iconography and painting, flowers played a significant role, carrying deep symbolic meaning. Works such as Martin Schongauer's "Madonna in a Rose Bower" illustrate this: the rose, a traditional attribute of the Virgin Mary (compared in the Psalms to a flowering garden), is depicted here in a paradisiacal bower, however, the rose thorns allude to the suffering of Christ who wore the crown of thorns. Other flowers, such as the white rose, symbolize innocence, and the iris, the immaculate conception. Basically, the flowers added another layer of meaning to the religious story

Martin Schongauer "Madonna in a Rose Bower"

  Pre-Raphaelite painters also used flowers to add meaning.In one of his most famous works, "Ophelia", John Everett Millais depicted the death scene of Shakespeare's heroine. He painted nature from life, as the Pre-Raphaelites believed that only accuracy would save English painting from degradation. The roses near Ophelia's cheek and dress, and the field on the bank, are likely a reference to Laertes calling her "a rose of May." Willow, nettle, and daisy are associated with pain and innocence. Elizabeth Siddal, for whom the painting became a kind of symbol of early death. For four months, she had to pose lying in a tub of water heated by lamps. Once the lamps went out, she caught a cold, and her father, threatening the artist with a lawsuit, obtained payment for the doctor's services. But the prescribed medicine (an opium tincture) undermined her health and siddal died at age 33 from an overdose

John Everett Millais "Ophelia"

  Van Gogh's super-expensive "Irises" is equally rich in symbolism. Painted in a mental asylum, the vibrant purple hues, a mix of stimulating red and serene blue, likely reflected Van Gogh's own turbulent emotional state. He considered the painting a "lightning rod for his illness", believing the act of painting helped him manage his condition

Vincent van Gogh "Irises"

 This is just the tip of the iceberg, though you see it tons in still lifes, where even individual fruits, vegetables and their combinations carry meaning, but I wanted to start with these iconic examples