Friends of Blackburn Museum Monthly Talk – Floriography: The meaning of flowers in medieval manuscripts
The opening talk of new season on 14th October, will be a talk by Dr. Cynthia Johnston related to the exhibition: Floriography: The meaning of flowers in medieval manuscripts.
The current exhibition at the Museum looks at the use of the natural world in decorative art from the late medieval period through to the Arts and Crafts Movement. For this talk, I will focus on the meaning of flowers in decorative borders of late medieval manuscripts. The red rose, the lily, the tri-colour or wild pansy, the carnation and many more each had specific meanings for the medieval reader. Artists used the flowers as emblems in a variety of inventive ways in both their illuminations and border designs. We will also look at this practice as sustained in the embroidery of the recusant Catholic community in the 17th century. We’ll look closely at the work of Helena Wintour in the ‘Easter’ or ‘White Chasuble’ from Stonyhurst College which is in the exhibition.
The talk will last approximately one hour and refreshments will be served after the talk. For further information on The Friends of Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery click here.
