Floral Symbolism
Before Albrecht Dürer, German artists such as Hans Peydenwurff and Hans Memling began to introduce true to life representations of plants into their paintings. Similarly, Dürer incorporated floral studies into works depicting religious subject matter; the flowers themselves prescribing certain figures with symbolic meaning.
Floral symbolism was already firmly established in Marian subject matter before the creation of the Madonna with the Iris c. 1510. The connections between Mary and flowers often stem from literary sources such as the Song of Soloman which is rich in floral symbolism. The Madonna with the Iris now takes its name from the representation of the iris directly behind Mary, however in sixteenth-century Germany this particular flower was actually identified as a sword-lily, possibly in reference to its sword shaped leaves. The sword-lily may well refer to the prophecy of Saint Simeon in Luke 2:35 to symbolise the sword that pierced Mary’s soul.
Also depicted in this painting is a lily of the valley and a peony, other flowers attributed to Mary. The peony was a flower grown in early imperial gardens and was used to symbolise wealth and honour, whilst the white petals of the lily of the valley commonly symbolised the purity of Mary’s body.
Workshop of Albrecht Dürer, The Madonna with the Iris,
c.1510, oil on lime, 149.2 x 117.2cm,
National Gallery, London
The Madonna with the Iris is now generally considered to be a workshop production. It shows the Virgin Mary seated in a hortus conclusus (an enclosed garden), which traditionally invites a richly depicted flowering garden. Some of the watercolour plant studies produced by Dürer and his workshop are considered to be preparatory studies for this painting, namely, the Iris, the Great Piece of Turf and the Lily of the Valley and Bugle. The nursing virgin in a garden is a popular subject among Dürer’s other works, particularly in his drawings and engravings where he incorporates the same level of floral detail.
Albrecht Dürer’s Watercolours
Albrecht Dürer, Great Piece of Turf, 1503,
watercolour and tempera on paper mounted on cardboard, 41.0 x 31.5cm, Albertina, Vienna
The Great Piece of Turf is a watercolour study of a group of simple, everyday plants that has prompted the admiration of several Central European botanists whom have identified the different roots, stems and flowers. Dürer depicts some soil, meadow grass, a dandelion and other plants among them with such precision and devotion to nature that a miniature world is brought to life. Though the overall composition may seem somewhat chaotic, each individual plant is drawn with immense botanical accuracy which promotes a greater sense of realism.
Albrecht Dürer, Iris, 1508, watercolour and bodycolour, brush, pen, on two sheets of paper stuck together, 77.5 x 31.3cm,
Kunsthalle, Bremen
This beautifully rendered study depicts different stages of the blooming process by representing three flowers at various phases in their development. The study is painted onto two sheets of paper in order to accurately represent its length. The type of flower depicted in this watercolour study is frequently questioned, after being considered to be an Iris trojana, it is now identified as an Iris germanica.
Albrecht Dürer’s watercolours diversify from the usual approach to flower painting. Whilst they were certainly used to inform the Madonna with the Iris and to provide the workshop with detailed studies that could be transferred to paintings, the Great Piece of Turf and the Iris are respected as works of art in their own right. Dürer takes an important step forward by making nature the focus of his interest and thus presents an altered aesthetic. The studies are exquisitely attentive to nature and recall examples of botanical drawings and woodcuts used to illustrate medieval herbals. Dürer’s watercolours mark the peak of German draughtsmanship as they promote the development of a new pictorial form that breaks free from its commitment to a religious figure.
