Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

A beautiful bloom proclaims the perfection of nature. This exhibition explores how artists have drawn inspiration from flowers. The sketches and drawings on view are works in progress—seeds for future works of art—reflecting an artist’s unique process. Many artists observed and recorded the smallest of details, diagramming a flower’s anatomy and life cycle. Some attempted to replicate the exuberance of a blossom, focusing on glorious colors and sensual surfaces. Others abstracted petals, stems, and pistils into fantastical designs.