Flower secrets of the canvas: we reveal the symbolism in art

Brush possession is only a small part of the path to true artistic skill. Each work of art carries not only virtuosity of performance, but also a whole story, deep philosophical thought. However, these secrets are rarely revealed before the layman. To unravel the true meaning of the canvas requires stubborn searches and the desire for a deep understanding, not content with what can be seen on the surface.

In the world of artistic works, traditional paintings with flowers in a vase, it would seem, can remain banal. However, their true meaning is revealed only to those who have mastered the basics of botany and understands what secrets are hidden behind each flower. When you begin to reveal botanical motives, they turn into important parts of the picture, adding depth and significance. With each new work, you plunge into the unique world, changing your view of the paintings by oil as a whole.

Art requires not only the possession of tools, but also a deep understanding of the context from which works are born. Subtract into details, look for hidden values, and each picture will reveal its unique world before you.

Flowers in painting

 

People have realized the beauty and greatness of flowers since ancient times. It was impossible to imagine a holiday, a front exit or a banquet without an abundance of living garlands and bouquets. Moreover, such a direction in different cultures was born at different times separately. They greeted the birth of a new person with flowers and also escorted him with them after death. And if the researchers have chosen the path of studying and using various plants, then artists perpetuate them on canvases.

Often the flowers in the paintings of great artists performed not only a decorative, but also a symbolic role. Some of them could afford to portray roses, simply because they were loved, but for most these flowers are a symbol of love. The forget -me -nots were written to indicate constancy, the color of the fern - with requests for mysticism. The beauty of hyacinth, peony and daffodil acquired special mythological significance. However, it was the roses, without a doubt, who became the favorite floral heroes in still lifes and secular painting.

Drawn bouquets of flowers dated to the XVIII century and earlier, could have a completely non -existent color. The fantasy of the painters has already carried its own, author’s symbolism. Especially often they loved to use the language of flowers to characterize their hero.

Many colors in painting can be found in the 19th century. In the same period, completely unimaginable flowers began to appear in the paintings of artists. They were called upon to make a particularly deep meaning into the fine art and sometimes surpassed those that nature created with their beauty.

Flower symbolism in the visual arts

 

Flowers in the painting of contemporary artists retain a symbolic load laid down from time immemorial. In the future, noticing flowers in the paintings and knowing their meaning, you will be much more fully revealed to what the authors invest in them.

Already in the Middle Ages, during the development of religious art, the first stable symbols appeared - Rosa and Lilia. The first due to the scarlet color and spikes eloquently framed the stories about the suffering of Christ. If red and white roses were combined on the canvas, this marked the unity of Christians in their faith. Lily became the personification of the immaculateness of the Virgin Mary.

However, not only to reveal the plot or character used images of flowers. Even flower still lifes were filled with special, deep meaning. It would seem that they are called to become a decoration as such, to capture the moment, freshness and beauty of the objects surrounding us. However, these are still painting, flowers in which always help to look deeper at the work.

And here again many religious meanings pop up:

  • The ears were associated with the revival, since the grain enters the ground, like the body, and then gains a new life;
  • poppies on the canvas symbolize the fragility of beauty, sometimes even death and oblivion;
  • white carnation, as it is easy to guess, personified the righteous life of Christians;
  • red cloves, along with a rose, designated love and sacrifice, sometimes innocently spilled blood;
  • in the context of the French and October Revolution - courage and valor;
  • piones in the painting of artists are very bright, mean wealth, greatness, again love and dignity.

Pictures with the flowers of famous artists

Here are some bright examples of paintings where the above symbolism can be caught. In the paintings of famous artists, flowers can play an important role: seal a special message, as it were, between the lines. And they can simply delight the eyes and heart, passing the images of the beautiful through eternity.


"Flora", Giuseppe Archimboldo

The portrait of the girl came out incredibly tender and mysterious, and the point is not in her natural features. White-pink petals served as skin, and clothing is woven from many bright inflorescences and leaves. Let not everyone understood the embedded meaning of the picture, but they admire it to this day.


“Vase with flowers”, Jan Davids de Hem

The painting of the painter is predominated by the brightness and harmony of color. The depicted plants appear in all their realism and beauty. When looking at the canvas comes the understanding that art is forever. However, this is very characteristic of still lifes of the XVII century.


"Water lilies", Claude Monet

The picture was created to capture the moment, and not compete exactly. Therefore, it is so lively and rich in color light effects. It hides the secret and the depth of life itself, the wealth of nature and the desire for the beautiful. Monet wrote her, already struck by cataracts, but still created one of the most famous masterpieces of the 20th century.


“Vase with fifteen sunflower”, Vincent Van Gogh

Naturalness and brightness - this is what the master sought to capture when he wrote nature. Oil flowers in the picture are depicted at different stages of their life: from the heyday itself to complete wilting. And today it is perhaps the most famous “flowering” canvas in history.


"Ophelia", John Everett Mille

The Shakespearean plot was masterfully depicted with the help of plants rich in mysticism. They were written from nature, as was customary among the pre -Raphaelites. The willow branches, nettles and margaritians are obviously designed to symbolize innocence, pain and early death.


"Meditative rose", Salvador Dali

Unusual gave peaceful work, all the attention in which the scarlet rose attracts. She soars in the sky like the sun, and two lovers found a refuge under him. Pictures with roses classically personify love, peace and peace. Some see in this soaring flower also passion and trials, upcoming every pair and person separately.


“Lady in the Saint-Address Garden”, Claude Monet

Human figures with the light hand of the master become part of nature, integral from the landscape presented before us. Monet managed to convey the juiciness of the blossomed flowers, the brightness of the sun and, of course, the harmony of the girl in the middle of the summer garden.

Revealing the secrets of flowers in art

Humanity glorifies the beauty of flowers throughout its existence. They are traditionally present in the context of important events in life and are actively used in religious, mythical, dramatic plots in art. The symbolism of wildflowers, garden and invented plants flashes through the entire human culture. It allows you to see how the author subtly felt his work, and how many multifaceted interpretation can be awarded the canvas thanks to the colors.

In the world of art, the possession of a brush is only the front door in the depths of artistic creativity. Each picture carries many symbols and hidden meanings, transforming ordinary objects into something more. Flowers deserve special attention, which, in addition to decorative function, have rich symbols.

From simple bouquets of flowers of the 18th century to magnificent flower compositions of the XIX century, artists put their unique meaning into each petal. Flowers became not only objects of the image, but also the language with the help of which artists expressed their ideas, feelings and philosophy.

The symbolism of colors in painting retains its relevance in contemporary art. Knowing this symbolism allows viewers to understand and perceive works of art more deeply. Thus, flowers on canvas not only bring visual pleasure, but also reveal before us the world of symbols and secrets that can be deciphered and interpreted endlessly. In art, each flower is not only a colorful element, but also the key to understanding the depths of art.

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