The flowering of Florence: the artists commissioned by the Medicis "brought to their subjects not only a masterly technique, but a freshness and originality of style that would have a lasting influence on botanical illustration and the art of naturalistic painting." (Museum Today).

• Author: Hirschauer, Gretchen A.

ART and the natural sciences were closely linked in Italy between the 16th and 18th centuries. The wonders of nature had long been an inspiration to artists, but the birth of modern science during that time provided a new way of seeing and interpreting the world. The Medici family, dynastic rulers of Florence and Tuscany, took an ardent interest in horticulture and sponsored the work of eminent botanists. Their love of gardens and botanical sciences coexisted in perfect harmony with their extraordinary patronage of the arts. An exhibition at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., of 68 paintings, works on vellum and paper, hardstone mosaics, and textiles presents some of the finest examples of botanical art created for Medici patrons, from Cosimo I, who came to power in 1537 and founded the duchy of Tuscany, to the last male heir, Giangastone de'Medici, whose death in 1737 brought this great dynasty to an end.

During the earlier Renaissance, artists were less interested in an accurate portrayal of nature than creating a decorative effect, or, more often, they used plants to convey a religious message. Pietro Perugino's "Crucifixion with the Virgin and Saints" contains several flower species that enhance the religious theme. The sleep-inducing red poppy was a reminder of death, and the common violet became a symbol of the Virgin Mary's humility. The noble deep-purple iris came to symbolize divine message and also became an attribute of the Virgin Mary. Its leaves, compared to a sword piercing her heart, recall her sorrow at Christ's death.

Leonardo da Vinci was at the forefront of the new interest in the natural sciences that developed in Florence in the later 15th century. His desire to understand nature's laws led him to depict plants not as specimens, but as they grew in an atmosphere of fight, air, and movement. His "Studies of Flowers" records with great accuracy the delicate flowers of a common pear, the sweet violet, a flowering stem of pearl grass, and various species of roses.

In 1577, Grand Duke Francesco invited a young, practically unknown artist from Verona to join his court. Born into a family of artisans, Jacopo Ligozzi had already visited Vienna, where he impressed the Hapsburg court with remarkable realistic paintings of animals on vellum. In Florence, where he remained for the rest of his life, Ligozzi produced elegant paintings of the plants and animals he found in the Medici gardens and menageries. Deeply...