Flowers of the Renaissance

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? Flowers of the Renaissance 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: Flowers of the Renaissance seeks out these hidden treasures and provides an unrivalled exploration of their beauty and their significance.