Birth Month Flower: January, Carnations (a series)

Variegated Carnation Flowers (1838) [Source: British Museum, 'The Flower Garden']

#flower #fleur #Carnation #oeillet #Art #Illustration #et

Birth Month Flower: January, Carnations (#2 of a series)

The Pink of Politeness and a Prim Rose (1821) [Source: British Museum] Satirical print attributed to Richard Dighton

#Flower #FlowerOfTheMonth #Carnation #Art #Illustration #hand-coloured #etching #Satire #BritishArtist #et

Birth Month Flower: January, Carnations (#3 of a series)

Earth, The Elements (18th century) [Source: British Museum] Allegorical,
mezzotint on paper, print by Richard Houston after Philippe Mercier.

#Flower #FlowerOfTheMonth #Carnation #Art #illustration #garden #gardening #et

Birth Month Flower: January, Carnations (#4 of a series)

Portrait of the Duchess of Gelders (1519) [Source: British Museum]

One of a pair of colour woodcuts made for the marriage of Elizabeth (daughter of the Duke of Brunswick) to Charles of Egmont (Charles of Egmont).
In this case, the carnations symbolize betrothal and friendship.

#Flower #FlowerOfTheMonth #Carnation #woodcut #symbol #Netherlands #NL #friendship #betrothal
#et

Birth Month Flower: January, Carnations (#5 of a series)

Fan, Carnations, and Cards with Program for a Nagauta Concert by Sansho (mid-late 19th century) [Source: Philadelphia Museum of Art]

#Japan #Asia #Woodcut #Carnation #Dianthus #Pinks #Bird #Flower #calligraphy #FlowerOfTheMonth #FlowerArt #JapaneseArt #et

Birth Month Flower: January, Carnations (#6 of a series)
Ketubah(1789) [Source: ROM Collection]

I've learned that this lovely work of art is a Ketubah (Jewish marriage contract) which was given to the bride "for safekeeping and is often hung prominently in the home." It was created in Jerusalem during the Ottoman Period and this is reflected in the style of the border details.

#Ketubah #Carnations #Judaism #Jewish #Hebrew #Calligraphy #Ottoman #Flower #FlowerOfTheMonth #Carnation

Birth Month Flower: January, Carnations (#7 of a series)
Man Holds Carnation (1578) [Source: British Museum]
Flemish engraving on paper.

The description doesn't say so, but this appears to be a betrothal portrait. It's interesting that there were also carnations on the Jewish marriage contract (see Ketubah in post above). So I guess that some of the Language of Flowers crosses several cultures.

#Carnation #Flower #Flemish #et #FlowerOfTheMonth #LanguageOfFlowers #Flemish #Art #et

Birth Month Flower: January, Carnations (#8 of a series)

La fleuriste (The Florist) (1764/66) Artists: Print by Antoine de Marcenay de Ghuy after Gerard Dou. [Source: British Museum] Etching, French.

I find that this carnation plant is really lovingly depicted and I love the details of the plant support and the garden containers. It would be fun to try and recreate this presentation in real life!

#FlowerOfTheMonth #Carnation #Art #Gardening #GardenContainers #etching

Birth Month Flower: January, Carnations (#8 of a series)

Caryophyllus variagalus (ca. 1691-1699) Artist: Maria Sibylla Merian [The British Museum] Watercolour drawing on vellum, German

This watercolour depicts the life cycle of a moth against the background of a lovely carnation.

#Insect #Moth #Flower #et #Carnation #Botanical #Nature #Watercolour #Watercolor