Columbines ( Aquilegia spp.)Ĭolumbine detail in Decorated Text Page in the Spinola Hours, about 1510–20. It was also linked to the Holy Trinity (father, son, and holy spirit) in the Renaissance as remembrance, memory, and spiritualization. The Heartsease flower is also be referred to as a “pansy” or “viola tricolor” because of its delicate structure and luminous three-colored petals. In Renaissance Europe, the white lily was symbolic of purity and chastity. These tall, white, statuesque and aromatic plants were similar to the white rose in their relation to the Virgin Mary. Lily detail found in The Visitation, about 1480–1515, Master of the Dresden Prayer Book or workshop. They are associated with the Passion of Christ and the Resurrection, probably because the flower blooms in spring around Easter. One of the most popular flowers at the Getty-due to Vincent van Gogh’s famous painting-irises also have Christian symbolism.
Iris found in the gardens at the Getty Villa They are the precursor to modern-day carnations. In the wild pinks often thrive in gravely and rocky conditions, making them occasionally hard to maintain in a home garden. They were associated with the nails used in the Crucifixion and coronations, while the name dianthus translates to “flower of God” (from the original Greek Dios for Zeus), and can be found represented in numerous illuminated manuscripts. Pinks hold a deep Christian significance. 154ĭianthus flowers, commonly referred to as “pinks” for their typical color, stand out because of their clovelike smell and distinct five-petal formation. Pinks detail in Decorated Text Page in the Spinola Hours, about 1510–20. Oils and jelly made from hips (fruits) of this plant had medical applications for skincare, and were incorporated into foods. Once he caught her participating in this act of charity, the bread miraculously turned into roses. Elizabeth of Hungary secretly took baskets of bread to feed the poor against the will of her husband. Many individual saints also had an association with roses in Renaissance Europe. White roses evoked the chastity of the Virgin, who was known as the “rose without thorns.” Red roses symbolized the shedding of Christ’s blood, and sometimes referenced the charity of the Virgin Mary. Roses ( Rosa spp.)Īrguably one of the world’s most widely recognized flowers, the rose has multiple religious associations, depending on its color. Here’s what they shared about plants found both in the Getty’s manuscripts collection and sometimes in the gardens of the Getty Center and Getty Villa. Keene and Alexandra Kaczenski, who organized the exhibition Sacred Landscapes: Nature in Renaissance Manuscripts. I compared notes with Brian Houck, the Getty’s manager of grounds and gardens, and manuscripts curators Bryan C. And as it turns out, many flowers prized in Renaissance Europe for their religious symbolism and practical value are still among our favorites today. 258įlowers and green spaces are as appealing today as they were 500 years ago, whether in real life or in the pages of a book. In illuminated manuscripts made during the period, intricately painted landscapes or flora and fauna were often represented as aids to prayer.ĭecorated Text Page from the Spinola Hours, about 1510–20. 1400–1600), Christians looked to nature for spiritual enlightenment and to guide their contemplation of the divine. In Europe during the Renaissance (about A.D. Manuscript curators shed light on the associations and uses of seven favorite garden flowers in Renaissance manuscripts and their symbolism for Christianity. Red roses in the Getty’s garden and as a detail in All Saints from the Spinola Hours, about 1510–20, Master of James IV of Scotland.
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