Hollyhock symbolism extend to the realm of Faery, as fairies were believed to use the blooms as skirts, and Hollyhock seedpods were known as fairy cheese because they resembled a cheese wheel. There is even a recipe dating from 1660 that recommends combining Hollyhock, Marigolds, Wild Thyme and Hazel buds in order to allow mortals to see the fairy folk. (Source:
The Witchery Arts)
The painting seen above is titled "Study of Pink Hollyhocks in Sunlight, from Nature", painted in 1879 by
John La Farge (1835–1910). Originally found on
Wikimedia. Digitally enhanced version of the painting as a 4" x 5" @ 300 ppi JPEG
here.
Digitally enhanced reproductions of public domain fine art are shared under a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
