My Museum Jacob Avelar
Museum Description:
The theme I have chosen is symbolism in plants. I chose this theme because I am very interested in botany and the importance plants have had on humans throughout history. Because of their importance to us, certain plants have evolved to symbolize specific things, such as the olive branch or the asphodel. By including artworks from different periods of time in different parts of the world, the importance of the symbolism present in plants can be emphasized further.
Impact Statement:
The goal of this exhibit is to encourage visitors to try to notice specific plants in art and think deeper about what meaning could be behind the reason why they were included in the piece. Additionally, this exhibit could encourage viewers to appreciate plants not just because they look pretty, but also because of the meaning they can carry.
Room 1: Plants Used to Symbolize Joy and Happiness
Flowers being used to represent positivity for centuries, with many species of plants all representing common themes of love, joy, and happiness. The rose is perhaps the most well-known example, being tied to love and romance. All of the artworks in this room either have had a long history of symbolizing love and joy, or are cleverly being used to create an idea of love and joy. These artworks are Magpies and Prunus, The Rose Garden, Planting Chrysanthemums, and Lilacs and Peonies.
Liangxian - Magpies and Prunus, 1700-1750
This piece belongs in my Museum because it clearly contains botanical imagery. Furthermore, the context behind why this specific species of plant was used relates it to the theme of this room.
Context: In Chinese history, there has been a saying that translates to English as "joy up to one's eyebrows". Often times, a mating pair of magpies were seen as messengers of good fortune, especially joy. In this painting, the two magpies are seen perching on a Prunus tree. The word "prunus" is homophonic with a Chinese word that means "eyebrows". Putting it all together, this painting literally represents the saying "joy up to one's eyebrows". Because of this, magpies on prunus trees are thought to bring immense joy.
Carl Frederik Aagaard - The Rose Garden, 1877
This piece of artwork fits the theme because it features illuminated pink and white roses in the bottom right, which symbolize love and faith. Additionally, it also includes Black Elderberry in the top left of the frame, which in England has been known to represent protection.
Content: The subject matter of this piece are the two people, likely lovers, in the center of the frame. Surrounding them is the lush greenery of an upper-class garden. In the foreground in the right, there are illuminated rose bushes blooming in shades of pink and white. Also in the foreground on the left is a large Black Elder tree, rising above the couple. With the roses symbolizing love and the elder symbolizing protection, the artist is likely wishing the couple in the center of the frame a long and fulfilling relationship.
Lu Zhi - Planting Chrysanthemums, 16th Century
This piece of artwork fits with the theme because it uses chrysanthemums to symbolize peace and serenity. In this piece specifically, the artist is depicting the activity that gives him the most joy and purpose, which is planting chrysanthemums.
Form: Although cropped out due to formatting, this tapestry is almost 4 times as tall as it is wide. These dimensions are used to depict a great mountain range, creating dimension and a scale for the subject matter below. The artist also does this by creating atmospheric perspective, as the distant mountains turn a misty grey. The artist primarily used brown to create mountains, trees, and buildings, but dotted the scene with splashes of red and yellow to depict a vast garden of chrysanthemums. The medium of this piece is a hanging scroll with ink and color. Because of this, lines are purposeful and bold.
Suzanne Valadon - Lilacs and Peonies, 1929
This painting fits with the overall theme of the museum because the focal point of the piece is a vase of flowers. These flowers fit with the idea of this room because lilacs and peonies are common associated with love.
Content: This painting features a rather monochrome room with a table at its center. On the table is a piece of cloth that is wrapped around the base of a large yellow vase. This vase holds a number of leaves, but primarily contains pink peonies and lilacs. The symbolism of this piece could mean that love (the lilacs and peonies) fills an empty soul (the barren room).
Room 2: Plants Used to Symbolize Death
This room fits with the theme because it showcases various paintings that contain botanical imagery meant to allude to themes of death, or themes tied to death. These other themes include remembrance, mourning, and the cycle of life. The artworks portrayed are Böhmen liegt am Meer, Vanitas Still Life, Vanitas, and Wheat Field with Cypresses.
Anselm Kiefer - Böhmen liegt am Meer, 1996
This painting fits with theme of botanical imagery because it depicts a field of wildflowers. It also fits with the idea of death because it depicts an old road going through a field, with poppies emerging around the tire tracks.
Context: The context of this piece is that its artist, Anselm Kiefer, was born at the tail end of World War II. Throughout his childhood, he was scarred with imagery of bombings and death. His childhood has heavily influenced his art, as he often explores topics of death and spirituality. In this painting, old tire tracks run through a field of poppies. Since the end of World War I, poppies have been used to symbolize remembrance of fallen soldiers. The old, fading tire tracks also allude to the idea that this field once saw war, and is now slowly beginning to heal.
Jacques de Gheyn II - Vanitas Still Life, 1603
This piece of artwork fits with the theme because it contains the depiction of a cut flower. It also fits with the theme of death with the depiction of a skull and various other symbols.
Form: In this painting, many shapes are created. The two coins at the bottom of each corner follow shaded lines that connect in the center of the bubble above the skull, creating an implied isosceles triangle. Additionally, circles can be seen through the piece in the form of coins, eye holes in the skull, a bubble and an arch. A square is also formed by the pedestal that surrounds the skull. Moreover, the use of color is also intriguing. All the colors in this piece are drab and muted, with the only exception being the orange and red flower on the left hand side.
Philippe de Champaigne - Vanitas, 1646
This painting is extremely similar to the previous painting in both title and subject matter. Both paintings include a cut flower and represent the idea of death. These similar paintings were both included so more in-depth analysis could be done on both the form and the content of the pieces.
Content: This piece depicts a vase with a cut flower on the left, an hourglass on the right, and a skull in the middle. All three of these images represent the brevity of life. The flower on the right represents the fleeting last moments of life, as the water in the vase is only temporarily slowing down an inevitable death. The hourglass on the right is pretty self-explanatory, as it represents the time each human has before they die. Lastly, the skull in the middle represents the final stage of life - death.
Vincent van Gogh - Wheat Fields with Cypresses, 1889
This painting fits with the theme of this museum because it depicts a landscape of sweeping hills of wheat and towering cypress trees. It also fits with the idea of this room because both cypress trees and wheat are associated with themes of death.
Context: Vincent van Gogh is a well-known artist who was notable for his troubled life and incredible artworks. This piece is part of a collection of several works, all depicting golden wheat fields. While van Gogh struggled with immense depression throughout his life, these pieces showed the beauty of life on Earth to the fullest extent. While these pieces depict immense beauty, they still depict wheat and cypress trees, which have strong connotations with death and the cycle of life.
Room 3: Plants Used to Support Religious Ideas
This room fits with the theme because it showcases various paintings that contain botanical imagery meant to strengthen ideas or themes tied to European religion. These themes include sacrifice, purity, and devotion. The artworks portrayed are Christ in the Wilderness, The Annunciation, Madonna and Child with Saints, and Madonna and Child.
Moretto da Brescia - Christ in the Wilderness, 1515-20
This image relates to the theme of botanical imagery because it contains a beech tree, which Christ is depicted to be sitting under surrounded by animals. It also relates the the idea of religious imagery with the inclusion of Christ, angels, and a basilisk.
Content: In this piece, Christ is depicted to be sitting under a small Beech tree while surrounded by wildlife, angels, and a basilisk. Among these animals are birds, a deer, and a goat, which were commonly hunted for food. Additionally, the beech tree is also known to produce large amounts of edible nuts. With all of this potential food around him, Christ is depicted to appear indifferent. This is because Christ is on his 40 day fast, and the Devil (depicted by the basilisk) is tempting him to break his fast by surrounding him with potential sources of food.
Hans Memling - The Annunciation, 1480-89
This painting fits with the theme of botanical imagery because it depicts a small vase of white lilies in the bottom righthand corner of the image. Additionally, this piece fits with the idea of religious art by depicting biblical figures such as angels and the Virgin.
Form: This painting utilizes the diagonal lines of the tiled floor to create a linear perspective. In addition, implied lines created by the gazes of the angels and the Virgin put emphasis on the Virgin's belly, which holds Christ. The emphasis on the Virgin's stomach is also created with light and color, as her clothing is a bright white that is contrasted by her dark blue overcoat. While looking at her stomach, the vase of white lilies catches the eye. These lilies represent the purity of the Virgin.
Girolamo dai Libri - Madonna and Child with Saints, 1520
This painting fits with the theme of botanical imagery because Madonna and the child are standing in front of two laurel trees, one living and one dead. In addition, this piece fits with the idea of religious imagery by depicting disciples, the child, and Madonna.
Context: The context behind this piece and the other similar pieces that are included in this room is that art in Europe during this time period was almost exclusively used for religious purposes. In addition, plants had been identified and their uses had been known for hundreds of years, so they began to develop symbolic connotations. For example, this piece depicts two laurel trees. These trees represent honor to Christ.
Bramantino - Madonna and Child, 1508
This artworks fits with both the theme of the museum and the theme of the room because it contains multiple depicts of plants and again contains Madonna and the child.
Content: In this painting, Madonna holds the child in one hand and and apple in the other. The child is shown to be reaching for the apple. The apple and the child reaching toward it represent the fall of man, as the apple ties directly into the story of Adam and Eve. The baby, who has not yet learned the teachings of Christ, reaches for the apple because it has not yet learned to resist temptation. The carnations on the right of the child represent love and devotion to Christ.
Combined, all of these art pieces represent 15 unique symbolisms that plants can represent. This is just scratching the surface however, as there are hundreds of plant species worldwide that carry different meanings, whether they be spiritual, religious, or emotional. When visiting gardens, creating your own garden, or thinking about using symbolism in your own writing, I hope you consider the powerful connotations that plants can have. By gaining a new perspective on plants, it is also my hope that you view them as more than just a pretty ornament.