1. History of Floral Design

2. Why is it important?
To create arrangements with the feel of another time and place.
To harmonize your arrangements with the time period of the room or building.
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF!!!

3. Floral Design in Ancient Civilizations
Egyptian
Greek
Roman
Byzantine

4. Egyptian Floral Design
Began in 2800 B.C. to 28 B.C.
We discovered floral design through artifacts and wall paintings
Used for decoration in
Temples
Banquet Tables
Wreaths for guests
Used in precessions
Given to honor someone

5. Egyptian Floral Design
Orderly, alternating patters
Simplistic, repetitious, and highly stylized
Placed in spouted vases with no stem visible
Set in regimented rows
Around the edge of the vase (2 inches above the rim)
Blossoms were flanked by leaves or buds on lower stems.
No bunching or overlapping of material.

6. Egyptian Period 2800-28BC Containers
Egyptians favored wide-mouthed containers
Containers were often made from pottery, gold, slate, or polished alabaster
Farrence -- Type of glazed earthenware from Italy that was often used in containers

7. Egyptian Period: Design Characteristics
Common types of designs were chaplets, wreaths, garlands
Designs were typically orderly with alternating patterns of flowers
Dominant colors were red, yellow, and blue

8. Egyptian Period: Flowers several flowers were considered sacred, symbolizing Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
Acacia
Gladiolas
Jasmine
Lily
Lupine
Morning Glory
Poppy
Rose
Lotus**
The lotus was sacred because it was the flower of the Goddess Isis.

9. Flowers used in Egyptian Design
-Madonna lilies
-Narcissus
-Jasmine
-Poppies
-Lotus blossom
( were considered sacred)
-Acacia
-Roses
-Water lilies
-Violets

10. LOTUS
JASMINE
GLADIOLAS
LILY
MORNING GLORY

11. Egyptian Period: Foliage & Fruit
Ivy
Laurel
Oleander
Figs
Grapes
Olives
Palm
Papyrus
Peaches
Plums

12. Greek Floral Design This Period Began 600B.C.–46 B.C.
The ancient Greeks were so dedicated to beauty that their art heritage has lived through the ages and influences today’s art.
Herbs were frequently used with the flowers, and as garlands, and wreaths.
They introduced the Horn of Plenty or Cornucopia.

13. Greek Floral Designs Greek designs expressed grace and simplicity
Color was not important
the flowers, fragrance, and symbolism associated with each flower were foremost importance
Often symbolic of a god or hero

14. Greek Period 600-146 BC Containers
Flower petals were often scattered on the ground during ceremonies
Design types often used were wreaths and garlands worn during special occasions.
Presented as awards to athletes, statesmen and soldiers.
The cornucopia was first introduced during this era. It was filled with fruits and vegetables and placed in an upright position rather than on its side as done today.

15. Greek Period: Flowers Crocus Daisy Honeysuckle CROCUS HONEYSUCKLE

16. Flowers Used in Greek Designs
Roses
Hyacinths
Honeysuckle
Violets
Lilies
Tulips
Larkspur
Marigolds

17. Greek Period: Foliage & Fruit
Herbs
Ivy
Laurel
Berries
Oak
Olive
Acorns
Grapes

18. Roman Floral Design 28 -B.C.-325 A. D.
The Romans continued with the customs of the Greeks.
Garlands, wreaths and crowns were more elaborate than those of the Greeks. Crowns and garlands were tapered.
Flowers were sometimes arranged in baskets and cornucopias..

19. Roman Period 28 BC-325 AD continued the customs of the Greeks
Often used heavy & elaborate wreaths
Used fragrant flowers with bright colors
First use of natural bouquets
arrangements and usage became more elaborate

20. Roman Floral Design
“Dies Rosationis” - After a person dies the family would gather at a rose bedecked grave and lay more roses in remembrance of that person.
“Sub Rosa” - Roman custom of hanging a wreath of white roses from the ceiling, and all things said beneath the wreath was to be kept a secret.

21. Flowers Used in Roman Design
Roses
Crocus Narcissi
Oleanders
Violets
Lily
Poppy
Amaranths
Ivy
Myrtle
Honeysuckle
Laurel

22. Byzantine Floral DesignAD
Continued Roman designs
Elaborate containers had nearly pointed bases.
Used symmetrical tree-like compositions

23. Byzantine Floral Design
Changed construction of garlands to be narrow bands of flowers or fruit alternated with foliage
Formal conical designs with clusters of blossoms at regular intervals

24. Floral Designs in European Periods
Middle Ages
Renaissance
Baroque
French
English-Georgian
Victorian

25. Middle Ages Floral Design
( AD)
Flowers arranged in vases
Symmetrical groups in Chinese flasks show Chinese influence.
Little known about floral designs of this period
Information found in Persian art, rugs, and tapestries.

26. Renaissance Floral Design
Renaissance period saw a rebirth of many interests, particularly in the arts.
The Renaissance began in Italy but quickly spread to all of Europe.
The Renaissance style was greatly influenced by the Byzantine, Greek, and Roman periods.

27. Renaissance Floral Design
Stems were covered creating a massed, symmetrically stiff arrangement.
In this era, the Christmas Wreath became popular
Fruits, blossoms and leaves were woven into garlands to decorate walls and vaulted ceilings
Petals were piled into baskets to strew on floors and streets or to float down from balconies into rooms below.

28. Renaissance 1400-1600 AD Period in Europe after Middle Ages
Paintings from this period often show vases of flowers because flowers had great symbolism
ex: The rose symbolized sacred or profane love
ex: A white lily symbolized chastity and fertility

29. Renaissance: Design Styles
Single white lily placed in a jug is typical
Flowers arranged in vases so that only blossoms were visible
Massed, symmetrically stiff, compact arrangements common
designs were large, tall, pyramidal, and symmetrically balanced
Bright colors and forms of flowers were used as focus

30. Renaissance: Flowers Anemone Campanula Carnations Iris Poppy Rose Lily
Lily of the Valley
Marigold
Narcissus
Pansy
Violets

31. CAMPANULA
ANEMONE
CARNATIONS
Lily of the Valley

32. Flowers used in Renaissance Design
Roses Lily of the Valley Daisies
Ivy Olive Branches
Laurel Dianthus
Lilies
Violets
Primroses

33. Renaissance: Foliage Boxwood Cones Fruit Ivy Laurel Myrtle Olive
Vegetables

34. Baroque and Flemish Style Period
( AD)
Classical Renaissance style gave way to the lavish Baroque style
Symmetrical oval shaped designs
Hogarthian curve or S-Curve developed this period

35. Baroque Period 1600-1775 AD Era following the Renaissance in Europe
Art is no longer just for the church or nobility, it is now accessible to the middle class.Paintings show arrangements in everyday settings
Many interiors were overdecorated and gaudy
Designs became more creative and expressive
asymmetrical curves in the shape of a crescent or an “s” were adopted later

36. Baroque Period: Containers
Massive and sturdy
Metal and stone urns
Chinese and Japanese vases, bowls, and flasks

37. Baroque and Flemish Style Period
Styles were evoked by the works of Michelangelo in Italy, but these were adopted by designers in Holland and Belgium.
Large containers held flamboyant arrangements containing many different kinds of flowers.

38. Baroque Period: Flowers
Carnations
Cyclamen
Foxglove
Iris
Larkspur
Lilies
Marigolds
Roses
Sunflowers
Snowball
Tulips

39. Flowers Used in the Baroque and Flemish Style Era
Iris Marigold Lily Peony Cannas Hollyhock Roses

40. Baroque Period: Foliage & Accessories
Leaves of flowers
Coleus
Olive
Bold leaves
Fruits/vegetables
Birds’ nests
Shells
Insects
Nuts, berries

41. Floral Design in French Period
All of these design periods fall under one Category :
French Baroque
French Rococo (18th Century)
Louis XVI (Late 18th Century)
Empire Period ( )

42. French Period (17th & 18th century France)
Also known as the “Grand Era”
Associated with the courtly life
Emphasis was on classic design, refinement, and elegance
Designs were often fan shaped and massed

43. French Baroque
The topiary was introduced during this period. Symmetrical designs with no focal point.
Floral designs were informal, fragile, and delicate.

44. French Rococo (18th Century)
Designs more formal than those of the Baroque period, predominantly arc and crescent-shaped, delicate and airy.

45. Louis XVI (Late 18th Century)
Delicate, cool colors before the French revolution, and the revival of the Classical Period following the French revolution.

46. Empire Period ( )
Military symbolism was often used in arrangements, using emblems and figures associated with the emperor. Most of the designs were simple and triangular in shape.

47. French Period: Containers
Elegant and ornate
Goblets and vases made of glass, ceramic, or porcelain
Classic urns

48. French Period: Flowers & Foliage
Acacia
Aster
Carnation
Ferns
Hyacinth
Larkspur
Lilacs
Lilies
Marigolds
Pansy
Poppy
Roses
Tulips

49. English Georgian Period
( )
The 15th and 16th Century collective fortresses of England gave way to smaller houses, into which flowers were brought, more for their fragrance than their beauty.
Arrangements during the first half of this period consisted of flowers simply crammed into sturdy containers, with little or no concern for design.
Some of the containers of the period were made specifically to hold flowers, with holes or openings to maintain the stems at particular angles.

50. English-Georgian Period 1714 – 1760 AD
Named for English Kings George I, II, & III
Fragrance was very important in flower selection because it was thought to rid disease
English created the nosegay to safeguard from illness
Flowers became part of fashion in hair, around necks, and in décolletage
Arrangements were formal & symmetrical & often triangular
Often used bough pots

51. English-Georgian: Containers
Wedgwood
Posy-holder vases
Urns made of pewter, sliver, or ceramics
Ceramic wall pockets
Enclosed bricks

52. English-Georgian: Flowers
Used the same as the Baroque period but also included:
Passion Flower
Phlox
Snowdrop
Veronica
Clover
Geraniums
Hibiscus

53. Victorian Era
The Victorian era named for Queen Victoria, marked a period of floral design, in which we often see elaborate and full designs.
Upper-class members of society showed their wealth with large, excessive, opulent and often overdone flower arrangements.

54. Victorian Era
This era was the first attempt to establish rules for floral arranging
Arrangements were created weekly by cultured ladies and their daughters in the home.
This was also the time when tussie-mussie bouquets and nosegay bouquets made their mark in society. Proper women of Victorian society carried these bouquets at most social gatherings.

55. Victorian Era
Victorian style arrangements are typically round or oval in form. Flowers are typically kept to a lower height,
Strong color contrasts and flowers with brilliant hues were preferred
Lots of foliage is associated with Victorian style arrangements.
Fruit may be added to the arrangement also, mainly because the flowers are cut from the garden that are being used.

56. Victorian Era Language of Flowers
Victorians knew the language of flowers and carefully selected their arrangements or single flowers according to the message they wanted to convey to the recipient.
A gift of a bouquet of chrysanthemums meant love; a red carnation meant that feelings weren’t mutual and lavender meant luck or devotion

57. Victorian Era: Flowers
Bleeding Heart
Camellias
Carnations
Dahlia
Gardenia
Hydrangea
Lilies
Poppies
Roses
Sweet Pea
Tulips
Violets

58. Flowers Used in the Victorian Era
Roses Tulips Carnations Lilies Daisies Peonies Fruit

59. Victorian Era: Foliage & Accessories
Figurines
Stuffed birds, butterflies
Victorian greeting cards
Ferns
Grasses
Dried Flowers

60. Oriental Influence in Floral Design
Began in India where Buddhist priests scattered branches and stem on altar or placed them in pottery urns.
Modified by the Chinese during the first century A.D.
Oriental influence placed emphasis on the individual form, texture, and color of plant material

61. Chinese vs. Japanese Style
Chinese style is less stylized
Japanese style is very formal and follows strict rules of construction
Japanese designs are characterized by minimum use of plant material and careful placement of branches and flowers.
Each placement and angle has meaning.
Both use arrangements that depict how things are in nature – natural growth patters, groomed plants/pruned to perfection (bonsai)

62. American Styles of Floral Design
Early American
Colonial
Neoclassic
American Victorian

63. Early American (Colonial) Period
( )
The early colonists generally produced plants for food or for their medicinal properties.
What little time they had for arranging flowers was spent making simple arrangements to adorn their very modest homes.
Flowers were used more in the Central and Southern Colonial areas.
Most of the arrangements they made were copied from the English Georgian and French Empire periods.
Arrangements were made in simple mass forms using numerous colors.

64. Colonial Williamsburg Floral Design
( )
Colonial Williamsburg is renowned for it’s colorful arrangements in finger vase and flower bricks.
The English and European roots particularly in the Georgian and French designs became more symmetrical and sophisticated.
Fan and Triangular-shaped flower arrangements where lightly grouped at the top, sometimes 11/2 to three times the height of their containers.

65. Flowers Used in Colonial Williamsburg Design
Lilies
Anemones
Roses Sunflowers
Violets
Marigolds
Daisies
Snapdragons
Cockscomb
Strawflower
Ornamental grasses

66. American Period Floral Design
( )
The Neoclassic and Empire styles which had been evolving in Europe, especially the delicate French style, had a great influence on the styles used in late colonial America at this time.
In these types of arrangements, masses of mixed bouquets were used less often, and the charm of individual flowers was emphasized. Fewer flowers were used in containers.

67. American Victorian Period
( )
The Victorian period in England began to spill over to the newly-declared United States.
Ornate containers of many different kinds of materials were filled to overflowing, using cool colors and an abundance of white.
Arrangements tended to be made in rich purples, magentas, and dark blues. and the Tuzzy-Muzzy was popular, especially in the deep ´South´.

68. Modern Styles of Floral Design
Art Nouveau
Art Deco
Free Form Expression
Geometric Mass Design

69. Modern Period (Contemporary) Floral Design
Art Nouveau
Based on curvilinear lines and often patterned after nature in the shape of plants/flowers
Containers were carving and asymmetrical

70. Art Nouveau Period:
Style was based on curvilinear lines and often patterned after nature in the shape of plants or flowers
Containers were curving and asymmetrical

71. Modern Period (Contemporary) Floral Design
Art Deco
Influenced by ancient Egyptian, Jazz age, and the industrial age.
Characterized by strong geometric lines and patterns
The style reemerged in the 1960’s
Corsages became popular in this time period.

72. Art Deco Period: 1920’s & 30’s
Blending of influences including ancient Egyptian, Jazz age, and industrial age
Characterized by strong geometric lines and patterns
The style reemerged in the 1960’s

73. Modern Period (Contemporary) Floral Design
Free Form Expression
Arrangements became more expressive with feeling or movement and freedom
Textural differences between design materials were emphasized

74. Free Form Expression: 1950’s
Arrangements were more expressive with feeling of movement and freedom
Textural differences between design materials were emphasized

75. Modern Period (Contemporary) Floral Design
Geometric Mass Design
Tight, geometric bouquets were common
Arrangements combined mass and line into stiff patterns
Compote containers were commonly used.

76. Geometric Mass Design: 1960’s & 70’s
Tight, geometric bouquets were common
Arrangements combined mass and line into stiff patterns
Compote containers were commonly used

77. Review
What are some types of flowers and foliage common to all periods of floral design?
Why is it important to study the history of floral design?
What are some reasons for changing design styles across time?
How did European traditions influence American design?