Snowdrops in art

[Gail]

Any suggestions as to what snowdrop is in this painting? - see below.....

The Pre-Raphaelites prided themselves on imitating nature so presumably the four outers on the bottom flower were genuine. I wasn't sure if it was a not very full 'Flore Pleno'??
Any pointers to other snowdrops in paintings would be appreciated...

edit by maggi to add photo- image is in the public domain : http://www.the-athenaeum.org/art/by_artist.php?id=3

[Alan_b]

I think it is much more likely to be a nivalis 'Flore Pleno' than anything else.  These can be quite variable.

If you put "snowdrop" into the Fitzwilliam Museum Collection Explorer here http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/explorer/ you get two good results for snowdrops in paintings.   

[Gail]

Thanks Alan

[Maggi Young]

If you put "snowdrop" into the Fitzwilliam Museum Collection Explorer here http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/explorer/ you get two good results for snowdrops in paintings.   

Well, of course I had to try that......
http://www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/explorer/index.php?oid=166416  for a charming mezzotint and

http://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/30067 for a coloured drawing - complete with a bluebottle - at least that's what it says- hope it's not a fancy narcissus fly!!

[zephirine]

Not exactly paintings, but here are two chromolithographies (also called VTCs, Victorian Trading Cards) from the end of the 19th century, showing very "human" snowdrops! 

[Lesley Cox]

One of my NY resolutions is to look at every new snowdrop thread/topic on the Forum this year. It will add hours though, to my computer time.

[Alan_b]

To me,an interesting aspect of snowdrops in art is that it may reveal something about their history.  The drawing in the Fitzwilliam museum (with bluebottle) is over 4 centuries old.  The snowdrops in the first of the Victorian-era pictures have elongated and sometimes split spathes but not the green mark on the outers that is commonly associated with that type (deriving from Galanthus nivalis Scharlockii, which was named in 1868). 

[Gail]

Not exactly paintings, but here are two chromolithographies (also called VTCs, Victorian Trading Cards) from the end of the 19th century, showing very "human" snowdrops!

Those are great fun - thanks for posting.

[zephirine]

Another type of Art, from famous glass masters of the early 20th century, the Muller brothers :
http://art-lor-marteau.blogspot.fr/2012/04/vase-aux-perce-neige.html
Or these glass lamps, in the "Art Nouveau" style, located in the Museum of Fine Arts in Nancy, France:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexprevot/6155570687/#
http://www.artvalue.com/auctionresult--daum-freres-1825-france-vase-perce-neige-2643862.htm

[Brian Ellis]

...then there's always this one from Benington Lordship church porch.

[Tim Ingram]

What a lovely thread - this is a little exhibit of crockery at the Essex AGS Group Local Show, which includes snowdrops on the cup and saucer. It adds a whole new aspect to the winter garden! (My apologies that I don't recall the exhibitor but I do know that one member of the Essex Group regularly shows ferns).

[Carolyn Walker]

Fun topic for a thread.  I think this drawing/watercolor is quite beautiful.  It is on a Christmas card (maybe quite common in the UK?) and is by Margaret W. Tarrant (1888-1959). 

Love the Benington Lordship window, Brian, who is Ms. Mills?  She lived a long life.

Happy New Year to everyone,
Carolyn

[Brian Ellis]

Hello Gail,

Looking at http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/ and putting Snowdrop in the search engine you can find 15 paintings (including horses named snowdrop!).
Two nice ones are

Gathering Snowdrops by Edward Atkinson Hornel at Glasgow Museums Resource Centre
Portrait of a Woman Holding Snowdrops by Beryl Fowler at The Beacon Museum Whitehaven

Modern ones can be found on eBay!

[johnjearrard]

Perhaps this is the right place....?


lovelysnowdrops by John Jearrard, on Flickr

[Brian Ellis]

Most definitely John