Flowers

A new series of small, exquisite hardbacks from London’s National Gallery, in which its unrivalled collection is explored through a variety of appealing themes.Many artists choose the subject of flowers in order to showcase their technical skills, or simply to celebrate the beauty of nature. But the history of flower painting is far older and richer than the depiction of still lifes: from the twelfth century, flowers such as lilies and irises appeared in devotional paintings as symbols of the Virgin Mary’s purity, and over time they have developed their own allegorical language. This book explores flowers in painting across centuries and genres through the lens of the National Gallery collection.