Flowers decompose and fertilise

Reading about and researching the historic work made by women inspired me, not the least because recognition for their achievements sometimes came only after hundreds of years. To me the fragility of the work resides both in the material and the position held by women in society for centuries.

As described flowers are a common feminine subject for historic women artists. The subject of a flower is for me also a perfect translation of time and appreciation. Isn’t it nature that we all praise for its beauty, despite it lasting for only a short period of time before it falls prey to decay? We buy flowers to decorate our rooms and bring joy to our lives. They are used to celebrate or commemorate and because of their beauty and symbolism. Flowers are valued, despite their temporary existence. Why don’t we provide the fragile work by artists with similar adoration and appreciation? Rachel Ruysch argues in her flower paintings the worthiness of investment of something deemed temporarily through the symbolism of the flowers she paints. The expensive two-toned tulip for example represents greed (Singer).  

It is the destruction and decomposing of the flowers that I find interesting as well. The circle of life is needed for the new life to be generated, like contemporary artists build on the history of previous artists. Rachel Ruysch applies similar symbolism in her flower compositions, showing flowers from different seasons flourishing together (Toledo)(De Vitis)(van den Bosch). For me these different flowers represent women artists at different stages of their career.