Celebrating The Earth's Beauty - 17C Goddess Flora

Pierre Gobert (1662-1744)  - Retrato de Noiva com Flores

Spring & Summer are the perfect time to celebrate Earth's Beauty & Bounty.  Flowers gave beauty & inspiration to mankind's basic struggle to live & to populate & to protect his home-base, The Earth.  Holding on to The Sweet Divine - The Lord God took man & put him in the Garden of Eden to work it & to keep it...You shall not pollute the land in which you live...You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the Lord dwell in the midst of the people. Genesis 2:15 & Numbers 35:33-34. 

Celebrating The Earth's Beauty - 16C Goddess Flora

Giuseppe Arcimboldo (Milan, 1526-1593) Flora 1590 The artist created these 2 heads & busts from flowers, small animals & other natural elements, carefully chosen & relating to the subject, but recognizable close up

Giuseppe Arcimboldo (Milan, 1526-1593) Flora 1589

Spring & Summer are the perfect time to celebrate Earth's Beauty & Bounty.  Flowers gave beauty & inspiration to mankind's basic struggle to live & to populate & to protect his home-base, The Earth.  Holding on to The Sweet Divine - The Lord God took man & put him in the Garden of Eden to work it & to keep it...You shall not pollute the land in which you live...You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the Lord dwell in the midst of the people. Genesis 2:15 & Numbers 35:33-34. 

Celebrating The Earth's Beauty - 16C Goddess Flora - Jan Metsys 1509-1575

 Jan Metsys (1509-1575) - Flora -1559

Jan Metsys (1509-1575) - Flora -1561

Flora is the Roman goddess of flowers but at one time also over fruit trees, vines, & grains. Her name comes from the Latin floris, meaning flower. It is known that Flora was honored by the Sabines an old Italic tribe of the Appennines, before the founding of Rome. The Italic people celebrated her as a fertility goddess. A statue of Flora existed in Greece where she was worshiped ( & known as Chloris), prior to the time of Roman worship.

Many Roman tales portray Flora was a woman of pleasure, wealthy due to her popular occupation, who left her wealth to the Roman senate on the proviso that the money was used to celebrate her birthday. TheRoman politicians senators agreed to this donation, gave Flora the title of goddess,  & thereafter held the Floralia on her birthday.

The Floralia was a public festival to honor the goodwill of Flora. Created in the 6th century BC by the Romans, it took place in spring  & lasted 6 days, the last 3 days of April  & the first 3 days of May. The festival consisted of games  & theatrical performances. Chariot races  & circus games took place  & everywhere were the symbols of Flora. It was traditional to have goats & hares scampering about the landscape where flowers of lupines, beans, & vetch were scattered about. The Romans walked around holding bouquets of flowers or wore wreaths of flowers around their neck or in their hair. The theatrical performances were known to be 'lewd' or 'bawdy'  & repotedly contemporary prostitutes (who were devoted to Flora) might remove their clothing when called upon.

From Roman times through to the Renaissance, Flora became equally known for her ties to the natural world as for her ties to prostitution & lewd self display. In paintings she would be portrayed either as the goddess of spring surrounded by plants  & flowers with the emphasis on nature & abundance, or in contrast, as a seductive woman.

Celebrating The Earth's Beauty - 16C Goddess Flora, Goddess of Flowers by Titian (1485-1576)

Titian (1485-1576),  Goddess Flora

Flora is the Roman goddess of flowers but at one time also over fruit trees, vines, & grains. Her name comes from the Latin floris, meaning flower. It is known that Flora was honored by the Sabines an old Italic tribe of the Appennines, before the founding of Rome. The Italic people celebrated her as a fertility goddess. A statue of Flora existed in Greece where she was worshiped ( & known as Chloris), prior to the time of Roman worship.

Many Roman tales portray Flora was a woman of pleasure, wealthy due to her popular occupation, who left her wealth to the Roman senate on the proviso that the money was used to celebrate her birthday. TheRoman politicians senators agreed to this donation, gave Flora the title of goddess,  & thereafter held the Floralia on her birthday.

The Floralia was a public festival to honor the goodwill of Flora. Created in the 6th century BC by the Romans, it took place in spring  & lasted 6 days, the last 3 days of April  & the first 3 days of May. The festival consisted of games  & theatrical performances. Chariot races  & circus games took place  & everywhere were the symbols of Flora. It was traditional to have goats & hares scampering about the landscape where flowers of lupines, beans,  & vetch were scattered about. The Romans walked around holding bouquets of flowers or wore wreaths of flowers around their neck or in their hair. The theatrical performances were known to be 'lewd' or 'bawdy'  & repotedly contemporary prostitutes (who were devoted to Flora) might remove their clothing when called upon.

From Roman times through to the Renaissance, Flora became equally known for her ties to the natural world as for her ties to prostitution & lewd self display. In paintings she would be portrayed either as the goddess of spring surrounded by plants  & flowers with the emphasis on nature & abundance, or in contrast, as a seductive woman.

Celebrating The Earth's Beauty - 16C Goddess Flora, Goddess of Flowers by Tintoretto (1518-1594)

Tintoretto, born Jacopo Robusti (born c. 1518-1594)  Flora.

Flora is the Roman goddess of flowers but at one time also over fruit trees, vines, & grains. Her name comes from the Latin floris, meaning flower. It is known that Flora was honored by the Sabines an old Italic tribe of the Appennines, before the founding of Rome. The Italic people celebrated her as a fertility goddess. A statue of Flora existed in Greece where she was worshiped ( & known as Chloris), prior to the time of Roman worship.

Many Roman tales portray Flora was a woman of pleasure, wealthy due to her popular occupation, who left her wealth to the Roman senate on the proviso that the money was used to celebrate her birthday. TheRoman politicians senators agreed to this donation, gave Flora the title of goddess,  & thereafter held the Floralia on her birthday.

The Floralia was a public festival to honor the goodwill of Flora. Created in the 6th century BC by the Romans, it took place in spring  & lasted 6 days, the last 3 days of April  & the first 3 days of May. The festival consisted of games  & theatrical performances. Chariot races  & circus games took place  & everywhere were the symbols of Flora. It was traditional to have goats & hares scampering about the landscape where flowers of lupines, beans,  & vetch were scattered about. The Romans walked around holding bouquets of flowers or wore wreaths of flowers around their neck or in their hair. The theatrical performances were known to be 'lewd' or 'bawdy'  & repotedly contemporary prostitutes (who were devoted to Flora) might remove their clothing when called upon.

From Roman times through to the Renaissance, Flora became equally known for her ties to the natural world as for her ties to prostitution & lewd self display. In paintings she would be portrayed either as the goddess of spring surrounded by plants  & flowers with the emphasis on nature & abundance, or in contrast, as a seductive woman.

Celebrating The Earth's Beauty - 16C Goddess Flora, Goddess of Flowers

Master Of Flora (Italian, Fontainebleau, 2nd half of 16C - The Triumph of Flora

Flora is the Roman goddess of flowers but at one time also over fruit trees, vines, & grains. Her name comes from the Latin floris, meaning flower. It is known that Flora was honored by the Sabines an old Italic tribe of the Appennines, before the founding of Rome. The Italic people celebrated her as a fertility goddess. A statue of Flora existed in Greece where she was worshiped ( & known as Chloris), prior to the time of Roman worship.

Many Roman tales portray Flora was a woman of pleasure, wealthy due to her popular occupation, who left her wealth to the Roman senate on the proviso that the money was used to celebrate her birthday. TheRoman politicians senators agreed to this donation, gave Flora the title of goddess,  & thereafter held the Floralia on her birthday.

The Floralia was a public festival to honor the goodwill of Flora. Created in the 6th century BC by the Romans, it took place in spring  & lasted 6 days, the last 3 days of April  & the first 3 days of May. The festival consisted of games  & theatrical performances. Chariot races  & circus games took place  & everywhere were the symbols of Flora. It was traditional to have goats & hares scampering about the landscape where flowers of lupines, beans,  & vetch were scattered about. The Romans walked around holding bouquets of flowers or wore wreaths of flowers around their neck or in their hair. The theatrical performances were known to be 'lewd' or 'bawdy'  & repotedly contemporary prostitutes (who were devoted to Flora) might remove their clothing when called upon.

From Roman times through to the Renaissance, Flora became equally known for her ties to the natural world as for her ties to prostitution & lewd self display. In paintings she would be portrayed either as the goddess of spring surrounded by plants  & flowers with the emphasis on nature & abundance, or in contrast, as a seductive woman.

Celebrating The Earth's Beauty - 16C Goddess Flora, Goddess of Flowers

Ambroise Dubois (Flemish-born French artist, 1542-43–1614-15) Flore ou Allégorie de l'été

Flora is the Roman goddess of flowers but at one time also over fruit trees, vines, & grains. Her name comes from the Latin floris, meaning flower. It is known that Flora was honored by the Sabines an old Italic tribe of the Appennines, before the founding of Rome. The Italic people celebrated her as a fertility goddess. A statue of Flora existed in Greece where she was worshiped ( & known as Chloris), prior to the time of Roman worship.

Many Roman tales portray Flora was a woman of pleasure, wealthy due to her popular occupation, who left her wealth to the Roman senate on the proviso that the money was used to celebrate her birthday. TheRoman politicians senators agreed to this donation, gave Flora the title of goddess,  & thereafter held the Floralia on her birthday.

The Floralia was a public festival to honor the goodwill of Flora. Created in the 6th century BC by the Romans, it took place in spring  & lasted 6 days, the last 3 days of April  & the first 3 days of May. The festival consisted of games  & theatrical performances. Chariot races  & circus games took place  & everywhere were the symbols of Flora. It was traditional to have goats & hares scampering about the landscape where flowers of lupines, beans,  & vetch were scattered about. The Romans walked around holding bouquets of flowers or wore wreaths of flowers around their neck or in their hair. The theatrical performances were known to be 'lewd' or 'bawdy'  & repotedly contemporary prostitutes (who were devoted to Flora) might remove their clothing when called upon.

From Roman times through to the Renaissance, Flora became equally known for her ties to the natural world as for her ties to prostitution & lewd self display. In paintings she would be portrayed either as the goddess of spring surrounded by plants  & flowers with the emphasis on nature & abundance, or in contrast, as a seductive woman.

Celebrating The Earth's Beauty - 16C Goddess Flora, Goddess of Flowers

Francesco Melzi (fl. 1491-1570) - Flora

Flora is the Roman goddess of flowers but at one time also over fruit trees, vines, & grains. Her name comes from the Latin floris, meaning flower. It is known that Flora was honored by the Sabines an old Italic tribe of the Appennines, before the founding of Rome. The Italic people celebrated her as a fertility goddess. A statue of Flora existed in Greece where she was worshiped ( & known as Chloris), prior to the time of Roman worship.

Many Roman tales portray Flora was a woman of pleasure, wealthy due to her popular occupation, who left her wealth to the Roman senate on the proviso that the money was used to celebrate her birthday. TheRoman politicians senators agreed to this donation, gave Flora the title of goddess,  & thereafter held the Floralia on her birthday.

The Floralia was a public festival to honor the goodwill of Flora. Created in the 6th century BC by the Romans, it took place in spring  & lasted 6 days, the last 3 days of April  & the first 3 days of May. The festival consisted of games  & theatrical performances. Chariot races  & circus games took place  & everywhere were the symbols of Flora. It was traditional to have goats & hares scampering about the landscape where flowers of lupines, beans,  & vetch were scattered about. The Romans walked around holding bouquets of flowers or wore wreaths of flowers around their neck or in their hair. The theatrical performances were known to be 'lewd' or 'bawdy'  & repotedly contemporary prostitutes (who were devoted to Flora) might remove their clothing when called upon.

From Roman times through to the Renaissance, Flora became equally known for her ties to the natural world as for her ties to prostitution & lewd self display. In paintings she would be portrayed either as the goddess of spring surrounded by plants  & flowers with the emphasis on nature & abundance, or in contrast, as a seductive woman.

Celebrating The Earth's Beauty - 1580 Goddess Flora, Goddess of Flowers

1580 Dutch Personification of Flora

Flora is the Roman goddess of flowers but at one time also over fruit trees, vines, & grains. Her name comes from the Latin floris, meaning flower. It is known that Flora was honored by the Sabines an old Italic tribe of the Appennines, before the founding of Rome. The Italic people celebrated her as a fertility goddess. A statue of Flora existed in Greece where she was worshiped ( & known as Chloris), prior to the time of Roman worship.

Many Roman tales portray Flora was a woman of pleasure, wealthy due to her popular occupation, who left her wealth to the Roman senate on the proviso that the money was used to celebrate her birthday. TheRoman politicians senators agreed to this donation, gave Flora the title of goddess,  & thereafter held the Floralia on her birthday.

The Floralia was a public festival to honor the goodwill of Flora. Created in the 6th century BC by the Romans, it took place in spring  & lasted 6 days, the last 3 days of April  & the first 3 days of May. The festival consisted of games  & theatrical performances. Chariot races  & circus games took place  & everywhere were the symbols of Flora. It was traditional to have goats & hares scampering about the landscape where flowers of lupines, beans,  & vetch were scattered about. The Romans walked around holding bouquets of flowers or wore wreaths of flowers around their neck or in their hair. The theatrical performances were known to be 'lewd' or 'bawdy'  & repotedly contemporary prostitutes (who were devoted to Flora) might remove their clothing when called upon.

From Roman times through to the Renaissance, Flora became equally known for her ties to the natural world as for her ties to prostitution & lewd self display. In paintings she would be portrayed either as the goddess of spring surrounded by plants  & flowers with the emphasis on nature & abundance, or in contrast, as a seductive woman.

Celebrating The Earth's Beauty - 1697 Goddess Flora, Goddess of Flowers

Luca Giordano & Andrea Belvedere, Flora, Goddess of Flowers, Ca. 1697

The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston tells us that "In ancient mythology, there was a god & goddess for everything; anything from the generic deity above all others to love to home life...One mythology painting is from the collection of the Museo Nacional del Prado in Spain. The Goddess Flora (La Diosa Flora), Luca Giordano & Andrea Belvedere, c. 1697... 

"Luca Giordano was considered a very popular Spanish painter within the Spanish court under Charles II. While, Andrea Belvedere, who lived in Spain from c. 1694 to c. 1700 was believed to be called from his home in Naples, Italy, by Giordano himself, to paint for the Spanish court. The work is supposedly one of several collaborations between Giordano (who painted the goddess Flora & the seated women) & Belvedere (who executed all the intricate flowers)...

"The Goddess Flora...depicts the goddess sitting on a raised throne surrounded by 4 women, with whom she shares various, colorful flowers. These are taken from a massive, overflowing cornucopia in her left arm...

"All 5 women are dressed mostly in “classical”clothing, but have touches of contemporary pieces...The maiden to Flora’s right wears a simple string of pearls around her neck; & another maiden has a pair of pearl, teardrop-shaped earrings on. Compared to the muted tones of the clothing of the 5 women, the flowers are vibrantly painted & dominate the color scheme of the whole piece...The flowers easily show us the contrasts in the styles of Giordano & Belvedere.

"The 4 women, whose dresses are of completely different colors, together as a group may, in theory, represent the “Four Seasons”. The woman on the right of Flora wears a garland of flowers in her hair & another woman, to Flora’s left, gathers a rather large bundle of flowers. They easily could represent Spring & Summer. Yet another woman is in a rust-colored dress...would be Autumn. Finally, the last woman with no flowers could be Winter.

"Paintings like this were a favorite subject of art commissioned for royalty all over the world, as a passion for the story; as much as, the use of that myth to elevate themselves as divinely-appointed rulers..."

Posted 13th February 2013 by Christopher M. Hammel
The "Unofficial" Blog of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

1616 Spring to Summer- Locus amoenus, Allegories by Jan Brueghel the Elder 1568-1625 & Hendrick van Balen 1575-1632

Jan Brueghel the Elder 1568-1625 & Hendrick van Balen 1575-1632 Spring, 1616

As in these paintings, allegorical characters in stories & in art of this period were often located in garden settings. The locus amoenus was one of the traditional locations of epic & chivalric literature. As a literary genre of high culture, romance or chivalric romance is a type of prose & verse narrative that was popular in the aristocratic circles of Medieval & Early Modern Europe. Holding on to The Sweet Divine - The Lord God took man & put him in the Garden of Eden to work it & to keep it.

Locus amoenus (Latin for "pleasant place") is a literary term which generally referring to an idealized place of safety or comfort, usually a beautiful, shady parkland or open woods, sometimes with connotations of Eden. A locus amoenus usually has 3 basic elements: trees, grass, & water.

Often, the locus amoenus garden will be in a remote setting & with only components or suggestions of a more formal, geometric, walled garden, such as the flower pots seen above. The locus amoenus can also be used to highlight the differences between urban & rural life or be a place of refuge from the processes of time & mortality. In some works, such gardens also have overtones of the regenerative powers of human sexuality marked out by flowers, & goddesses of springtime, love, & fertility. Ernst Robert Curtius formulated the concept's definition in his European Literature & the Latin Middle Ages (1953).

Jan Brueghel the Elder 1568-1625 & Hendrick van Balen 1575-1632 Summer, 1616

Even Big Dogs & Cats take Time to Stop & Smell the Flowers

Even Big Dogs & Cats can Appreciate the Flowers - Ulysses Aldrovandus, De Quadripedibus Aldrovandus(1522-1605) Bellicosus Anglicus—Latin meaning “English war dog,” a term for mastiffs

Time for Sitting Outdoors with Flowers & Dogs

William Marshall (British printmaker, 1617-1649) Woman with Flower Basket & Intrigued Dog

1638 Stopping to Smell the Flowers

1638 L'Odorat by Abraham Bosse (French, c 1602-04–1676)

The Earth by Grégoire Huret (French, 1606-1670)

The Earth by Grégoire Huret (French, 1606-1670) 

May-June by Italian Printmaker Alessandro Temini active 1650

Maggio, Gemelli, Tatto by Italian Printmaker Alessandro Temini active 1650

Summer etched by Claes Visscher (1586-1652) II

  Summer etched by Claes Visscher (1586-1652) II

Ver Anonymous, etched by Claes Visscher (1586-1652) II

Ver Anonymous, etched by Claes Visscher (1586-1652) II

Summer by Grégoire Huret (French, 1606-1670)

Summer by Grégoire Huret (French, 1606-1670)

Le Printemps by Grégoire Huret (French, 1606-1670)

Le Printemps by Grégoire Huret (French, 1606-1670) published by Pierre Mariette

Flora holding a wreath of spring flowers by Jean Leblond 1605-1666

Flora holding a wreath of spring flowers by Jean Leblond 1605-1666 

1630 The Air by Abraham Bosse (French, c 1602-04–1676)

1630 The Air by Abraham Bosse (French, c 1602-04–1676)

Showing the bounty of - Earth by Abraham Bosse (French, c 1602/1604–1676)

The Earth by Abraham Bosse (French, c 1602/1604–1676)

Bounty of Spring & Summer - Earth by William Marshall (British printmaker, 1617-1649)

William Marshall (British printmaker, 1617-1649) The Elements - Earth

17C Spring by Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677)

1641 Wenceslaus Hollar (Czech, 1607-1677) Spring. 

18C Allegory of Spring - Love & Bird Nests

1800 Spring by P Stampa published in London

This couple is in a garden with flowers in bloom & a cold frame on the right side. The man is picking a rose to add to the bunch he holds, while looking back at the woman, who carries a parasol. A boy shows passes a birds' nest to a little girl who holds out her apron.  In the background are men in a hay-field.

SPRING 1670s Personification

Female personification of Spring, seated, garlands of flowers on head and body, holding bunch of flowers, one hand on infant similarly draped in flowers; large vase with flowers on wall to right; a garden fountain. Unknown artist.  Sold by P Van Somer, 1674-1694 London.