A Valentine to Flowers & Their Place in Design

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, so there’s no better time to talk about flowers – specifically, flower paintings – and their place in the world of design.

I have, for a very long time, been a big fan of flower paintings, particularly ones that show their subjects’ glory in fine detail. My interest was sparked way back in junior high school with an assignment to dissect flowers. I went happily into my father’s garden and started looking at the backyard flora with new eyes.

Why is there this compelling need for artists to depict flowers, whether it is the still life paintings of Cezanne, the glorious oversized canvases of Georgia O’Keefe, or the beautifully illustrated pieces by Maria Sibylla Merian?

And what does this have to do with design?

The answer to the first question answers the second question. Many artists and architects have recognized for centuries a human desire to connect with nature, to bring the natural world inside the built world. In the Frank Lloyd Wright style of bringing the outside in, every interior needs the warmth of nature. But of course, not everyone can afford a Wright home or houses that easily blend indoor-outdoor living. So a flower painting can help accomplish the same goal, albeit on a smaller scale.

Georgia O’Keeffe had a particularly interesting take on her desire to paint flowers, which she started doing in New York. She wanted people to stop and not only smell, but also see the roses. She recognized New Yorkers are always in a hurry, and to get their attention, she painted flowers on large canvases.

Interestingly, she was offended by critics and other observers who said her flowers were meant to look like female genitalia. Her intent was for people to look at nature and appreciate its grand design.

The following is a list of artists – including one based right here in Los Angeles – whose flower pieces are among my favorites. And I offer my design advice as to the style of architecture that fits with each artist’s work.

1. Albrecht Dürer, a 15th-century German painter, printmaker and wooden engraver whose detail is absolutely incredible. Although known more for his portraits and depictions of animals and religious subjects, this prolific Renaissance artist nonetheless created some exquisite flower paintings. His work would fit well into both traditional and modern homes.

2. Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717), who started out as an insect and botanical illustrator and whose highly detailed published works of nature were used by scientists all over the world. German-born, she moved to Amsterdam in 1691 with her daughter Dorothea and divorced her husband. Aside from her extraordinary work, what is remarkable about Merian is that the international recognition for her work and her independence was unusual for a woman during that era. She even was awarded a grant by the city of Amsterdam to study and draw the flora and fauna of the Dutch colony of Suriname, in South America, making the dangerous trip with her daughter and without a male companion. Her flower paintings would best work in a traditional-style home.

3. Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759-1840), an official court artist of Queen Marie Antoinette who managed to survive the French Revolution and continued painting through the revolution and Reign of Terror. Sometimes called the “Rafael of flowers,” he was a prolific artist who devoted virtually all his work to flowers and is particularly known for his roses. The Belgian-born painter later became the official artist for Empress Josephine, Napoleon’s first wife. His paintings would go well in a traditional home with feminine touches.

4. Abigail Rorer, a Massachusetts-based wood engraver and the proprietor of The Lone Oak Press, which publishes limited-edition books using letterpress and wood engraving. What I love about her flower paintings is that they’re so dark and creepy – my favorite is her bluebells in the shape of teeth-baring shark heads. Her work would probably best fit into a contemporary home.

5. Parnell Corder, a Los Angeles artist whose work I happily stumbled on a couple years ago at the Virginia Robinson Gardens in Beverly Hills. I was stunned by his heartbreakingly beautiful flower paintings. In particular, his painting of what I thought initially was a rosebud – but turned out to be a Melianthus Seed Pod – just blew me out of the water. His work would go nicely in a contemporary home – and if it has one of those stark white interiors, a Corder flower painting would pop exquisitely.

Eleanor Schrader is an award-winning architectural and interior design historian, professor and consultant who lectures worldwide on the history of architecture, interiors, furniture, and decorative arts. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.