A lot of times, people just view flowers as a common present for various occasions – be it happy or sad – but there’s much more to the popular flowers and plants than that. With how flowers are such an important part of our culture, it’s surprising how much people miss their significance in pop culture as a whole.
From being an important part of some of the most popular paintings in our lives, to being the central element in countless movies, flowers are more a part of our lives than we realize. In this article, we’re going to talk about the significance of flowers in pop culture today – you can do much more beyond using flowers as a gift.
We’re going to give you a whole list of interesting facts and tidbits about how flowers have been significant in both film and art.
Significance in Art
A lot of famous paintings are all about flowers, and even today they’re the favorite things to draw for countless artists.
1. Sunflowers by Van Gogh
The name Van Gogh doesn’t need introduction even to the most clueless art lovers – he’s one of the most famous artists out there, whose art is commonly displayed in museums around the world.
One of his most popular paintings, “Sunflowers”, is literally just that – a painting of a vase with sunflowers in it. Even though sunflowers are known to be cheerful and signify happiness, in Van Gogh’s version, they’re supposed to mean gratitude.
Sunflowers is actually a series of five paintings, two of which were originally hung in his friend Paul Gauguin’s room when he came to visit.
2. Blue Water Lilies by Monet
Monet is a famous artist who reportedly loved his garden more than he loved his paintings, which is why his main focus at the end of his life and artistic career were the paintings he made of his flowers – mainly the white water lilies.
There are a total of 250 paintings in this collection, each prettier than the last.
3. Banksy and Flowers
It would be harsh to ignore modern artists whose work depicts flowers, especially when we’re talking about flowers in pop culture. Banksy is an anonymous political activist and street artist whose real identity is unknown, but most of his work revolves around racial justice and political statements.
He refuses to be interviewed and goes to great lengths to stay anonymous, but his artwork says it all. The painting “flower thrower” is done in classic street style, depicting a man seemingly at a protest, throwing flowers. The piece represents a message of peace and resilience.
Flowers in Film
A lot of popular movies and fairy tales revolve around flowers kind of in the same way the story of Cinderella revolves around a glass slipper.
4. Beauty and the Beast
Now that we’re on the subject of fairy tales already, it’s only fitting to mention the tale of the beast and belle that revolved around an enchanted flower.
The only way to free the beast from the curse was for Belle to fall in love with him before the last petal of the flower fell, and a lot of the most popular artwork related to the movies and the story itself place the enchanted rose front and center – almost as if the focus of the whole movie was not the love story, but how pretty the rose was!
5. The Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz is a beloved classic and the film adaptation of the novel by the same name. A lot of things in the movie influence our lives even today, from kids being told the story of the wicked witch and dressing up as the good witch for Halloween to teaching them about kindness, courage, and bravery.
One of the most iconic scenes in the film has us watching as Dorothy falls asleep in the middle of a field of poison lilies.
6. The Meadow in Twilight
The Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer has us following the story of Isabella Swan as she falls in love with a vampire by the name of Edward Cullen, and how she’s swept into the deadly world of vampires and werewolves as the story progresses.
The meadow holds a special significance in the movie, being the location of several important events like the first time Bella confirmed that Edward was, in fact, a vampire. Other important events include the first time Bella saw Jacob as a werewolf, and also the location of the last scene in the movies.
It’s shown as one of Bella and Edward’s most favorite hangout spots. The movie has been widely popular with the targeted audience of young women and teenage girls, with most fans having a love-hate relationship with it.
Other movies that contain flowers as an important part include
- The roses in Alice in Wonderland
- The red roses included in almost every scene of American Beauty
- And the orchids in the Great Gatsby