The Hidden Language of Flowers

Thirty botanical species represented in as many works in the Museo del Prado: outstanding paintings and sculptures from the permanent collection.

This volume focuses on thirty botanical species represented in as many works in the Museo del Prado: outstanding paintings and sculptures from the permanent collection, such as Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights, Van der Weyden's The Descent from the Cross and Fra Angelico's The Annunciation. Each of the thirty plants is accompanied by a commentary by Eduardo Barba and a botanical illustration by Juan Luis Castillo, as well as a complete detailed reproduction of the work in the Museum.

In the words of Eduardo Barba: 'Many works of art are full of plants. In others, they are a little more hidden. In all cases, botany is an indispensable part of the story that the artist wants to tell: there are flowers that allude to the dynasty of the person portrayed, leaves that sum up a feeling, trees that transmit to the scene qualities that are specific to them. The species chosen could be present in the artist's surroundings, even at the foot of his studio. On other occasions, however, and as a result of expeditions to different parts of the world, exotic plants from distant countries were incorporated, enriching the artistic flora, especially from the 16th century onwards. In any case, the works of art bear witness to the fascinating ability of artists to observe the natural environment, who portrayed plants with delicacy, as if they were just another character.