Flora symbolica : flowers in Pre-Raphaelite art / Debra N. Mancoff.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mancoff, Debra N., 1950-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Pre-Raphaelitism.

Flowers in art.

Physical Description:

96 pages : color illustrations ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Munich ; New York : Prestel, [2003]

Summary:

This stunning bouquet of romantic paintings brings together two important aspects of Victorian life -- the Pre-Raphaelite movement and the language of flowers -- in one exquisite volume. Few artistic movements capture classic notions of beauty as romantically as the Pre-Raphaelites -- a group of nineteenth-century painters and poets who aimed to revive the purer art of the late medieval period. Brilliantly colored and carefully composed, Pre-Raphaelite paintings are revered for their idealistic portrayal of women, their emphasis on nature and morality, and their use of literature and mythology. Flowers figure prominently in many of these paintings, the blooms as physically lush as they are laden with symbolism. For this was the Victorian era, when the language of flowers was spoken by everyone. In this beautiful volume, Debra N. Mancoff, an expert on Pre-Raphaelite art and the floral lexicon, presents numerous breathtaking examples, which illuminate the meaning of flowers in all aspects of Victorian culture. She offers brief commentaries on individual paintings as well as biographies of the period's leading artists and their models. A captivating introduction to an artistic movement, this exquisitely produced book is also a romantic keepsake of an artistic sensibility that speaks volumes.

Contents:

Within Garden Walls 10

Flowers of Innocence 18

The Purest Flower 30

The Queen of Flowers 40

Fatal Bouquets 52

The Fashionable Flower 64

Say it with Flowers 76.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

3791328514

OCLC:

51839638