Grand Flora

lthough plants and flowers have been ever-present in art since ancient times, they rarely played starring roles, more often than not relegated to the background or treated as decorative flourishes. Their artistic status began to rise, however, in the medieval era, when interest in their medicinal properties grew, prompting the development of a type of book called “herbals,” whose copious illustrations of plants and flowers helped to instruct readers in their medicinal uses. While herbals may have elevated botanical illustrations to a more prominent position,