Inspirations



I have always loved History, Literature and Art.........................................................................................................
beautiful things, the stuff of dreams..................................................

flowers, butterflies, fairy tales, embroidered fragments, Chinese blues, Botticelli angels, Blake's visions, Burne-Jones pictures............................................................................................

amongst many other hints and wisps of the past..........................

to catch in my net and weave into mydesigns..................

which I hope others might find as beautiful as their inspirations.

Wednesday 8 June 2011

Leonardo da Vinci flowers and Henrik Simonson


One of the reasons I like the vintage/sepia painting by Henrik Simonson is because it reminds me of the Leonardo da Vinci's flowers. The pre-Raphaelites were very good at botanical detail in their paintings, as 'The Tree of Forgiveness' and 'Ophelia' show.  the latter was cited as being as good as a walk in the country by a Victorian Botany Professor!!!

One future option for myself is botanical drawing.  The Royal Botanical Society have produced a distance learning course.  However, as it is very expensive, like all education these days, I may just follow the course by myself, using the two course books available from Watersones etc.

Must say, can't wait now to 'move on'.....just a few more weeks left........

4 comments:

  1. Hello! I came across your blog while looking for da vinci flower studies. I was wondering if you knew the type of flower in the lower right corner of this drawing.

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  2. Hi, welcome to my blog, I hope you have liked it even though not devoted to Leonardo (sorry, but I do love his drawings and find the flowers in Edward Burne-Jones pictures-see Tree of Forgiveness- reminiscent of his/inspired by da Vinci?). I don't know the plant but it must be Italian and now you have asked the question, will see if I can identify it and post the answer if/when I find it!

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  3. Hi have you found out that part of the painting because i have to draw a sketch of this and i cant identify what it is so do you mind? Have you found out what it is??

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  4. So sorry..... I have looked for these plants in a number of flower books and can't seem to identify them. Maybe a botanist might be kind enough to help you (and me if one is looking at this blog now and knows what the plants are...?!!!!)
    Good luck with your sketch-I wonder what you have to draw it for....? Have you looked at the Burne-Jones painting, it has lovely flowers top (tree)and bottom(tiny flowers)?

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