Floromania. Floral Motifs from the Renaissance to Today
Location: 2nd floor, Great Hall
“Floromania” is an exhibition devoted to flowers, to the love of flowers, and to interest in botany throughout the centuries. Above all, artists have been attracted to the beauty of flowers, and thus flowers have been painted as a part of still-lifes, and on products of applied art; flower motifs have been carved into stone and added as illustrations in scientific editions.
In the Middle Ages, each blossom was a religious symbol, but also flowers have been used to send the message of love and intimacy. Through images of the flower, it is easy to comprehend the mentality of an era, the aesthetic ideals, hobbies and even social relations characteristic of a time. The interest in botany that captured society during the Biedermeier period, in the 19th century, indicates a concentration on the domestic environment, and the amateur paintings of manor ladies give an idea of the hobbies that were considered suitable for women. In art, there are styles, Art Nouveau for example, where winding vines have become defining attributes.
Flowers grow in the Garden of Eden; they are represented in the images of “Flowers of Evil” that reflect the tensions of the subconscious; in the arms, in the hair and in the laces of a woman, flowers carry the idea of a meek, yet seductive creature. In socialist realism, representations of the happy life were transformed from bouquets into rich clumps. The yearning for beauty during the Soviet times was expressed by the tradition of popular flower exhibitions, which fortunately have been recorded on film. The theme of flowers has, in one way or another, attracted many Estonian artists as well. Beside the pure still-lifes of Linda Kits-Mägi and Alfred Kongo, we can place the different compositions of Johann Köler, Sally von Kügelgen, Paul Raud, Ants Laikmaa, Konrad Mägi, Eduard Wiiralt, Paul Burman, Peet Aren, Aleksander Vardi, Enn Põldroos, Peeter Mudist and many others.
Curator: Tiina Abel
Designers: Mari Kurismaa and Mari Kaljuste
