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Pressed botanicals by Anne Blackwell Thompson adorn the stairwell walls of a house in Willway Gardens designed by Lizzie Cullen Cox. (Photo by Laurey Glenn)
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Pressed Wisteria by Anne Blackwell Thompson of Blackwell Botanicals, 11.5 by 20 inches, price upon request, blackwellbotanicals.com
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Limited-edition La Botanica Grown Indigo archival print by Molly Reeder, 11 by 14 inches, from $90, mollyreeder.com
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Thistle No. 1, original watercolor on paper by Lucy Clare Spooner, 6 by 10 inches unframed, from $185, lucyclarespooner.com
Flora and fauna have been a focus in art since the beginning of humanity. While fauna dominated the most primitive form of art, cave paintings, flora possess a more lasting popularity in the worlds of art and decor. Botanical illustrations have embellished walls and artifacts from ancient Egypt to Mesopotamia, adorned the pages of ancient Greek medical texts, and boast a history as vibrant as the depictions themselves.
In ancient times, botanical illustrations were often found on coins and ceramics, though they were primarily produced to help identify plants and flowers for medicinal purposes. Ancient Greek philosophers and physicians created texts including botanical illustrations paired with descriptions of the plants’ uses and effects. This practice continued through the medieval era, during which monks referenced copies of the ancient Greek works in their own studies.
While interest in capturing the images of plants remained mostly scientific over the centuries, botanical imagery did find its way into architecture and design. Gothic architecture of the medieval period frequently employed botanical elements such as stained-glass windows featuring flowers and plants. The botanical trend continued into the 17th century with the baroque and rococo styles, which incorporated floral motifs into opulent furniture and decorative elements such as moldings.
A late-18th-century botanist and painter for the French royal court, Pierre-Joseph Redouté is considered one of the greatest botanical illustrators of all time. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)
Entering the age of discovery, flowers and botanical gardens grew in popularity, bolstered by previously unknown species of plants being brought over from the New World. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, notables began cultivating elaborate botanical gardens that they hoped to preserve through works of art, commissioning artists to immortalize their prized flora. Perhaps the most recognized artist from this period is Pierre-Joseph Redouté, whose illustrious patrons included Marie Antoinette and Josephine Bonaparte. This period was dubbed the golden age of botanical illustration, as advancements in printing resulted in more accurate and colorful prints that could be disseminated to a wider audience.
As botanical prints became available to the masses, they also became more established in interior design. Victorian-era decor was dominated by botanical themes covering everything from textiles to wallpaper. Industrial improvements allowed these items to be mass produced, bringing them into the homes of many. Over the years, botanical forms continued to appear in other design styles such as art nouveau around the turn of the 20th century, though they ultimately fell out of fashion.
It wasn’t until the 1980s that botanical decor truly came back to the forefront of design. Renowned interior decorator Mario Buatta, known as the Prince of Chintz for his love of floral fabrics, embraced all forms of botanicals, regularly using fresh floral arrangements alongside botanical prints and paintings. Buatta’s career spanned over 50 years, influencing designers and fueling the resurgence of botanical imagery in decor.
Flora and its artistic likenesses have since translated seamlessly into multiple genres of modern design, from the more traditional to eclectic and even minimalist. Whether it’s a naturalistic botanical wallpaper, bright chintz accent pillow or classic floral print, plant-inspired decor is everywhere. Bringing the beauty of the natural world indoors seems a pursuit destined to endure through the ages.
