As the rebirth of culture and art flourished in the palaces and piazzas of Europe, so new worlds and new discoveries brought exotic plants to the terraces and hothouses. Botanic and floral art proliferated as the Medici and northern European courts employed artists to depict the exotic and expensive rarities that blossomed at their command. Flowers and fruits boasted the wealth of their patrons, whilst memento mori warned of mortality to come. Female artists forged careers across the continent and canvases of flowers burst forth with insects and butterflies, setting the scene for the Dutch Golden Age to follow, whilst looking back at the religious inspiration of the medieval. We will explore Renaissance flower art from backdrop to limelight, Botticelli to da Vinci.

Twigs Way is a garden historian, writer and researcher. She is fascinated by the past and intrigued by the role of flowers, gardens and landscape in art and culture of all kinds. Her talks and books reflect that endless curiosity, with themes of symbolism and meaning, class and gender, art and literature, and her desire to follow unknown paths towards the unexpected. From gnomes in Neasden to hollyhocks from the Holy Land, every plant has a tale to tell, every garden a past. Twigs is an accredited Arts Society lecturer and her history of the Chrysanthemum in art and culture was published by Reaktion in 2020. She is currently working on the equally golden daffodil.