Romantic Language of Flowers - Tapa dura

This is pure indulgence: a world of romance, flowers and delicate watercolours. Step back in time to discover how the Language of Flowers allowed secret declarations of love. Exquisite painting encapsulates a long-gone era, a time when fierce chaperones or being in service cast an iron corset on emotional activities - quite as restricting to young ladies as the whalebone girding their waists! Flowers served to carry messages, enabling sweethearts to make their feelings known while not flaunting the strict code of behaviour. The first section of this book draws upon The Book of Memory by artist Fanny Robinson (1802-1872). The flowers in these delicate watercolours symbolize many sentiments; their fresh piquancy continues to delight - as does their encapsulation of bygone times and the fascinating array of emotions they express so sweetly. The second section discovers yet more flowers and their romantic associations, unravelling a complex code - poetry in petals. With its fascinating fun facts, quotations and dictionaries of floral meanings, this enchanting book offers a unique opportunity to revel in a very special aspect of the 1800s - to admire a stunning array of flower paintings, and better understand the emotions that inspired these.

The first section based on Fanny Robinson's work includes commentary by Gill Saunders, senior curator in the Department of Prints, Drawings and Paintings at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Gill is author of a number of publications including Recording Britain: A Pictorial Doomsday of Pre-war Britain and Picturing Plants: An Analytical History of Botanical Illustration. Throughout the book Gill Davies has edited original copy as well as compiling the Fun Facts, extra floral meanings and historic details. The second half of the book - including further exploration of flowers, Fascinating Facts and the various flower listings - were also brought together by Gill Davies, author of over 400 books for both adults and children for some 50 publishers from all around the world. In between writing, Gill is also an enthusiastic flower gardener and photographer!