“The Birth of Venus” by Sandro Botticelli, 1486, Italy

This iconic Renaissance painting features mythological Venus emerging from a giant clamshell adorned with myrtle and roses, symbolizing purity, beauty and grace. The painting was originally commissioned for Lorenzo the Magnificent of the Medici family and would go on to become one of the most famous in the world. It can now be viewed at Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.

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“Flowers in a Glass Vase” by Rachel Ruysch, 1716, The Netherlands

Ruysch was one of the most celebrated female painters of the Dutch Golden Age. Her still life works like this one demonstrate her remarkable technical skill and attention to detail (her father was a professor of botany). The painting is imbued with religious symbolism, such as the iris for the Holy Trinity and the white poppies and morning glory representing crucifixion and resurrection respectively.

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“Sunflowers” by Vincent van Gogh, 1888, France

Van Gogh’s Sunflowers series is an iconic example of Post-Impressionism, celebrated for its bold use of colour and emotional depth. The sunflowers are said to represent admiration and friendship (the first in the series was given to his friend, the painter Paul Gaugin, for his bedroom when he came to visit). Although van Gogh had some dark periods, the two years he spent painting this series were supposedly his happiest.

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‍“Oriental Poppies” by Georgia O’Keeffe, 1927, U.S.A.

A key figure of American Modernism, O’Keeffe’s close-up depictions of flowers were said to represent female sensuality, causing a sensation in their time. Her large-scale abstract paintings of flowers were intended to make New Yorkers slow down and appreciate beauty. It is now on display at the University of Minnesota Art Museum.

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“The Flower Carrier” by Diego Rivera, 1935, Mexico

It is quite common for painters to pay homage to one another in their work, and this painting mimics the brushstrokes and vivid colours of van Gogh, whom Rivera admired. Rivera (sometimes overlooked for his more famous wife, Frida Kahlo) was a very talented painter in his own right, and infused this painting of a peasant overburdened with blooms on his way to the market with political overtones.  

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“Dalinae Viola Cogitans” by Salvador Dali, 1968, Spain

The most famous of the Surrealist artists, Dali’s lithograph humanizes this collage of flowers with eyes, hands, and a mouth with a moustache, prompting some to think it is a cheeky floral self-portrait. Dali is also known for his “Meditative Rose,” depicting a solitary red flower floating in the sky. He has described his art as “hand painted dream photographs.”

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“Water Lilies” by Claude Monet, 1916, France

Monet famously grew water lilies at his home and garden in Giverny, France which is now open to the public. Visiting, one understands immediately that this is where he found beauty and serenity. The Water Lilies series was on an immense scale, and was gifted to France on Armistice Day (the end of World War II) to symbolize peace. It is now on display at L’Orangerie museum in Paris. 

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“Love is In the Air: Flower Thrower” by Banksy, 2003, U.K.

Banksy’s street art always carries socio-political meaning, and this work is no exception. Combining the act of rioting with a bouquet of chrysanthemums and carnations challenges the viewer to contemplate the juxtaposition of violence and peace. The stencilled mural was created by the famously anonymous artist on the West Bank, and was inspired by student protests in Paris in 1968.