Carnation and Poppy Symbols in Art

Carnations and poppies represent ideas beyond the obvious.

Jan 13, 2007

The carnation and the poppy have been revered for their beauty and given symbolic meanings since ancient times.

The beauty of flowers has fascinated people of all cultures and backgrounds for centuries. Flowers have been bred and cultivated for their decorative charm and for our desire to continually enhance their scent, color, or beauty. Flowers are the subject of poems and myths, and many girls are named after flowers. Religious and spiritual symbols are associated with flowers as well. Many times the flowers depicted in Medieval and Early Renaissance paintings borrowed their Christian symbolism from ancient mythology. To the Ancients, the meanings associated with flowers attempted to explain the mysteries of nature and the delicate and beautiful properties of flowers.

1. Carnation

In the language of flowers, a red carnation symbolizes pure and ardent love and a pink carnation symbolizes marriage. Paintings from the Renaissance show that it was customary to give a carnation to a loved one at weddings as a symbol of the vow of fidelity. Certainly it became synonymous with intense emotions as can be seen in the portrait, “Woman with a Pink” (c. 1660), done so passionately by Rembrandt.

Scientifically the carnation is known as "Dianthus" and comes from the Greek word "Di" meaning "of Zeus" and "anthos" meaning "a flower." In ancient Greece the carnation was adored as a most favorite flower and was worn in flower garlands in ceremonies.

The carnation then became known as the "flower of God." It was introduced into Europe during the Middle Ages and symbolized the eye of God from which nothing could escape. According to one Christian story, when Jesus was carrying the cross, Mary saw him and began to cry. Carnations grew where her tears fell. The carnation often appears in paintings of the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus, in which Mary holds a carnation out to Jesus, as in this lovely painting by Raphael, "Madonna of the Pinks," or the painting "Madonna of the Carnation" by Albrecht Durer (1516)

2. Poppy

Traditionally the vibrant red poppy was a popular emblem of country life and summer’s richness. Fields of poppies were a favored scene of Impressionist Claude Monet, as in this painting “Coquelicots,or Poppies Near Argenteuil” (1873).

The delicate flower may not be favored for cutting and for arrangements because it fades quickly, but no one can deny its colorful appeal. For a long time it was used for beneficial purposes, prepared as an infusion, with added sugar, as a remedy for colds and deep coughs. Today, however, because of modern farming practices, the wild scarlet poppy has just about vanished.

Because of its narcotic properties, the poppy is sometimes used as a symbol of sleep, oblivion, or indifference. The Minoan poppy goddess wears the poppy seed capsules, a source of narcosis, in garlands in her hair. In ancient Roman mythology, Somnus, the god of sleep, is always crowned with poppies or lying surrounded by them. The Greek goddess of the harvest, Demeter, created the poppy as a means of getting some sleep after the loss of her dear daughter, Persephone. The twin brothers Hypnos and Thanatos (gods of sleep and death) are typpically represented as crowned with poppies or carrying poppies in their hands.

The painting “The Princess’ Tale,” by Sir Edward Burne-Jones, shows an intriguing folk tale documented in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. The young boy pictured here is murdered by his townspeople when he sings a song they believe is against their religious laws. His throat is cut and he is cast into a pit but he continues to sing the song. Asked how he can continue, he replies that the Virgin Mary implored him to do so. Also, she laid a grain upon his tongue that she would remove when she came for him. The boy is pictured in his burial shroud as the Virgin removes the grain. The red poppies in the foreground symbolize death and sleep.

In Christian art, the poppy is used in depictions of the Passion of Christ or as a reference to sleep or death. In the Greek Orthodox church, crimson poppies represent the blood of Christ on the cross on his journey to Golgotha.

The unique poet, artist, and mystic William Blake produced a set of beautiful watercolors to illustrate "The Grave," a 1743 Gothic poem by the Scottish writer Robert Blair about death and redemption. In this painting “The Grave Personified” (1805), he depicts a moth-winged, muscular female nude dangling poppy-heads from her outstretched arms.

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The copyright of the article Carnation and Poppy Symbols in Art in Classical Art History is owned by Suzanne Hill. Permission to republish Carnation and Poppy Symbols in Art in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.