Anjers en lelies 1836

Anton Weiss rendered these carnations and lilies with graphite in the mid-19th century. In this era, floral arrangements blossomed into elaborate symbolic languages, each bloom whispering secret meanings. Here, the carnation, or "dianthus," from the Greek for "divine flower," is no simple decoration. It appears in Christian iconography as a symbol of the Virgin Mary, or betrothal and love, reaching back through Renaissance paintings, always carrying its tender message. Note the lilies, often associated with purity, rebirth, and enlightenment. Lilies show up in countless Annunciation scenes as a symbol of the Virgin Mary’s immaculate conception. In ancient times, the lily, like the star, was linked to astral goddesses. These symbols speak of love and rebirth and touch the subconscious in ways we scarcely understand. These are not just flowers but a complex vocabulary, passed down and reshaped, their echoes reverberating through the ages.