Flower Arranging [antikvár]

1 The Development of Flower ArrangingThe ancient Egyptian lone of flowers and formalized arrangement of them is well illustrated by the wall paintings in their tombs. In this scene, painted on the plaster ofMenna's tomb at Thebes, a stylised clump of papyrus provides an interesting centrepiece while the surface of the water beneath is patterned with sacred lotus flowers.Flower arrangement is by no means a new conception, as can be seen by studying the skills of the temple builder, potter, stonemason, woodcarver and painter, who frequently reproduced in their work many aspects of everyday life. From earliest times man has devised aesthetic satisfaction from using flower shapes and colours to create forms of beauty.As is known from wall paintings in Egyptian tombs, as far back as 2,500 B.c. sacred lotus flowers were arranged in vases of a very unusual kind, some having extra spouts at the sides to support the heavy-headed flower, and mainly being heavily decorated. The Greeks and Romans had little interest in placing flowers in arrangements, but used them in garlands and wreaths made for personal adornment. With the decline of the Roman Empire in the fifth century A.D. flower art in the West seems to have completely disappeared until its re-emergence in medieval Europe.Japanese flower arrangement, being a linear art, is very different from Western flower arrangement. It dates from the sixth century when it was introduced to Japan by Buddhist monks from China where formal line arrangement was a temple art. By the sixteenth century huge exhibitions and competitions were held throughout the country but a more informal approach to flower arrangement was rapidly gaining popularity. It was not until the latter half of the nineteenth century though that women were allowed to study the art of flower arrangement. Today many of our more simple arrangements are derived from Japanese arrangements, both the classical and less stylized.In medieval times the monks in Europe cultivated gardens where they grew herbs and flowers for medicinal purposes, as can be seen in stained glass windows, paintings and murals, but it was not undl the Renaissance, with the cultivation of gardens as forms of beauty in their own right, that the growing of flowers was firmly established throughout Europe. Italian books of this period tell not only of the cultivation of flowers, but also the care of cut flowersi^ Flower arrangement at this time was unimaginative and stiff, but in the seventeenth century flowers were carefully positioned to show curving lines and forms, resulting in lovely graceful arrangements.In the Low Countries, painters were turning their attention to capturing the beauty of flowers in full, mixed arrangements. These paintings differed a great deal, from the fulsome bouquets of garden flowers, such as those of Jan Breughel, to the magnificently coloured profusions of fruits and flowers as portrayed by Jan van Huysum. All the paintings of that period delight the eye with their exquisite details of blossoms and foliage and beautiful forms.The flower arrangements favoured by the French in the seventeenth century were quite similar. Among the most outstanding of the French artists was the painter and engraver Jean Baptiste Mon-noyer, who had originally painted in the Flemish tradition. His arrangements of