Vintage Art Appreciation: Iris, Bindweed and an Ear of Corn

This love of which I speak is slow to lose patience - it looks for a way of being constructive.
Love is not possessive.
Love is not anxious to impress nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own ideas.
Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage.
Love is not touchy.
Love does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it is glad with all good men when truth prevails.
Love knows no limits to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. It is, in fact, the one thing that stands when all else has fallen.
― Elisabeth Elliot, Let Me Be a Woman

Painting is called "Iris, Bindweed and an Ear of Corn" by Cornelis van Spaendonck (1756-1839). Originally found on Wikimedia. Digitally enhanced version of the painting as a 9" x 8" @ 300 ppi JPEG here.


Digitally enhanced reproductions of public domain fine art are shared under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Vintage (Indoor) Garden Illustration: Flowers for Mama, 1866

Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.
― Robert A. Heinlein, Stranger in a Strange Land

To my child:
Thank you for the good memories, and the wise lessons that I learnt through having you in my life. I knew some things before your arrival. But I know better things today.
― Mitta Xinindlu

Vintage illustration of two young girls with floral tributes to Mama; from 1866. 4.5 x 6" @ 300 ppi JPEG without a watermark here. Larger image size available for licensing. Please inquire.


From my personal collection of ephemera. These images are to be incorporated into your creative endeavors and not for resale or re-distribution "as-is". Please credit FieldandGarden.com as your source when sharing or publishing.

Vintage Art Appreciation: Cyclamens for Love

…The shaking aspect of the sea
And man’s defenceless bare face
And cyclamens putting their ears back.
Long, pensive, slim-muzzled greyhound buds
Dreamy, not yet present,
Drawn out of earth
At his toes.
Dawn-rose
Sub-delighted, stone engendered
Cyclamens, young cyclamens
Arching
Waking, pricking their ears…
― D.H. Lawrence, Sicilian Cyclamens

The name cyclamen comes from the Latin "cyclamnos" which in turn comes from the Greek "kuklaminos" and "kuklos" which means cycle, circle, or wheel. Cyclamen species are native primarily to the Mediterranean region: Greece, Italy, Cypress, Crete, Turkey, Lebanon and Israel (where they are the national flower). Some species have radiated from this center of diversity north to Belarus, south to Somalia, west to Libya, Spain and France, and east to Iran. [Source: Plant Delights]

A Chinese fairy tale tells the story of the origin of the cyclamen flower. Chang’e stole an elixir of immortality from her husband Hou Yi (the God of Archery) and then escaped to the Moon, becoming known as the Goddess of the Moon. The jade rabbit was her faithful companion. Chang’e, dearly missing her family, one day decided to pay a visit to Hou Yi. The jade rabbit, giving them privacy, chose to play in the garden. There he met a gardener and grew very fond of him. When it was time to return to the Moon, the jade rabbit took a flower seed from his ear and gifted it to the gardener. This seed sprouted into a cyclamen flower whose petals resemble the ears of a rabbit. Cyclamen is also called the ‘bunny-ear flower’ in the Far East. [Source: Pansy Maiden]

Due to its tuber which allows the cyclamen plant to withstand even the most difficult conditions, the cyclamen flower is regarded as a symbol of deep love. This is why these flowers make wonderful gifts on Valentine’s Day, along with roses. Giving someone cyclamen is a way of expressing genuine love. In Japan, this flower is called the ‘Holy Flower of Love’ and is considered as Cupid’s love child. This is another reason why it’s associated with Valentine’s Day.[Source: Symbol Sage]

Going into February and the season of love, I hope you will find an opportunity to share a cyclamen or two with a treasured partner, friend or family member. These wonderful flowers can be grouped on a windowsill or tabletop to brighten up a room during these gray, cold months. Then, as the weather warms up, plant them in a shady corner of your garden to enjoy until the autumn.

Love starts as a feeling,
But to continue is a choice;
And I find myself choosing you
More and more every day.
― Justin Wetch, Bending The Universe
Paintings:
Top ― "Cyclamens in Front of a Wallpaper Background," painted in 1935 by Josef Jungwirth (1869–1950). Originally found on Wikimedia. Digitally enhanced version of the painting as a 4" x 6" @ 300 ppi JPEG here.
Bottom ― "Cyclamen," painted in 1935 by Endre Rozsda (1913–1999). Originally found on Wikimedia. Digitally enhanced version of the painting as a 8" x 10" @ 300 ppi JPEG here.


Digitally enhanced reproductions of public domain fine art are shared under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

My Photo Journal: Love (1)

We loved with a love that was more than love.
― Edgar Allan Poe

You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep
because reality is finally better than your dreams.
― Dr. Seuss

As he read, I fell in love the way you fall asleep:
slowly, and then all at once.
― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

Flower photo showing a back-lit pink rose in three-quarter profile. Photo without words or watermark is available as a high-res 12" x 12" @ 300 ppi download here for advertising, editorials and graphic/web design. Image is not for re-sale "as-is.".

Photo © FieldandGarden.com. All rights reserved.

Vintage Art Appreciation: In the Park by Giovanni Boldini

In the Park, 1872
by Giovanni Boldini (1842 - 1931)
No matter how close we are to another person, few human relationships are as free from strife, disagreement, and frustration as is the relationship you have with a good dog. Few human beings give of themselves to another as a dog gives of itself. I also suspect that we cherish dogs because their unblemished souls make us wish - consciously or unconsciously - that we were as innocent as they are, and make us yearn for a place where innocence is universal and where the meanness, the betrayals, and the cruelties of this world are unknown.
― Dean Koontz, A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog

Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.
― Bob Marley