Flora: The Secret Language of Plants in Art

Piet Mondrian’s chrysanthemums, Faith Ringgold’s sunflowers, Georgia O’Keefe’s black iris, Salvador Dalí’s narcissus, Yayoi Kusama’s pumpkin ...these are just a few of the many exemplary pairings that can offer a unique, artistic interpretation of a plant’s essence. Beautifully designed and visually captivating, Flora is arranged thematically by the trees, flowers, fruit, vegetables, spices, grasses, grains, and vines which have served as a root for artistic inquiry across time. Brief, informative profiles of each plant are woven together with key works of art, mythology, and other ancient and contemporary sources, bringing each plant into more focus through its interpretations across time. Readers wishing to find information about specific plants can consult a detailed plant index, or they can read the book cover to cover, luxuriating over each page, providing a space to turn whenever we need a reminder of the connection between our natural world and the creative spirit. Botanists will deepen their understanding of plants through the lens of artistic expression, and artists will find much to learn about their natural subjects, bringing a new context to an ever-enduring love of plants.

Dr. Hope Werness is an Art Historian specializing in non-Western and modern European art. She has taught for over twenty years at California State University, Stanislaus.