Flowers have different meanings for different species. Insects find them appealing for their pollen-filled centers and enjoy burying themselves in soft petals and fragrances while looking for nourishment.

On the same note, humans learned how to tame flowering plants and used them for agriculture. 

However, the relationship between humans and blossoms is a lot more complex and goes beyond sustenance or medical purposes. We find them beautiful and inspiring, we offer them as gifts and use them to show our appreciation.

Throughout history, the love affair between humans and flowers led to deep meanings in both culture and religion.

As a result, artists everywhere used flowers in their works to convey messages and increase the aura of mystery surrounding their creations.

In fact, if you pay close attention to famous paintings, you’ll see a pattern in the flowers used to represent various human emotions or states. Below, you can find the four most iconic flowers in art and their meanings:

Roses

Roses are some of the most common Valentine’s Day flowers nowadays, but people have thought of it as a flower for romance and love since ancient times.

The beauty of roses is often depicted in famous paintings such as the ones by Henri Fantin-Latour, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Ambrosius Bosschaert, and others. 

But the rose is also a motif used in textile design as it was proven by William Morris who used roses (and other flowers and natural forms) to create beautiful textile designs that helped revive the traditional British textile arts. 

Sunflowers

The beauty and roughness of sunflowers have fascinated many painters, but Vincent van Gogh managed to encompass all of it in his Sunflowers series.

His first depiction of sunflowers happened while he was living in Paris, and showcased the flowers on the ground. However, the second (also the most famous), depicts a bouquet of sunflowers in a vase. 

The second painting is more famous because it depicts more vivid yellows made possible by the introduction of new pigments. 

Lilies

Lillies are a common motif in many paintings. Their wonderful colors and shapes have enchanted painters’ eyes and hearts for centuries! 

Their versatility made Claude Monet dedicate an entire series of his creations to water lilies (around 250 oil paintings for this flower!). In fact, Monet brought a new perspective to the Impressionist style with his depiction of water lilies. 

He used vibrant and rich colors to make the flowers the center of attention and brought them to life using energetic brush strokes.

Irises

Vincent van Gogh created many flower paintings in his career, but “Still Life with Irises” is one that stays with you. He used bold, contrasting colors in an effort to show that contrasting colors, textures, and nuances can be brought together in a wonderfully harmonious result. 

Why Flowers?

The uniqueness of blossoms served as inspiration for artists, scientists, engineers, and other professionals for centuries. After all, flowers, in all their state, are one of the most common motifs in paintings and other creations. 

Still, the trend is going strong even today as there’s always something new and exciting to discover between the soft, fragrant petals of a flower. So, if you’re looking to improve your skills as a student or a master of your craft, start with a flower. You never know where it may take you!