Who doesn’t like roses? But did you know there are many symbolic elements to roses? In this article, I explore the symbolism of roses.
Symbolism of Roses
As a flower, the rose has a great many meanings so here is just a brief overview.
Roses as Emblems
Roses in Heraldry
In English history, the biggest mention of the symbolism of roses has to be The Wars of the Roses. The houses of Lancaster and York were fighting for the throne (1455-1485). The House of York adopted the symbol of the white rose, the House of Lancaster adopted the red rose. An interesting fact is that they were not named the Wars of the Roses until the 19th Century after a book by Sir Walter Scott. The book Anne of Geierstein was based on a scene from a play by William Shakespeare where nobles picked different colored white or red roses to demonstrate their loyalty.
Roses as National or State Flowers
As a result of the Wars of the Roses, the Rose is the National flower of England. The rose is also the national emblem of the United States. It is also the state flower of four US States: Iowa, North Dakota (green and pink rose), Georgia (the Cherokee Rose) and New York. Portland in Oregon and Pasadena in California have ‘City of Roses’ as a nickname.
Birth month flower
Each month of the year has a symbolic flower (or flowers) as its birth flower. The rose is the birth month flower for June.
June Rose
I don’t know if the idea of the birth month flower is what my grandmother was thinking of when she named my Mum ‘June Rose’. It made it easy for me all these years later, as an artist, when I wanted to create an image dedicated to my Mum as it gave me a big clue on what to include. With my piece ‘June Rose’ I also added pink for love, gratitude and appreciation to the symbolism of roses.
Color of Roses
The color is also significant when looking at the symbolism of roses. Many on-line florists provide a helpful list of the colors and their meanings to help you choose when ordering. White roses suggests innocence and purity and is often used for weddings. Red rose is well known to signify romantic love with an incredible amount sold in the run up to Valentine’s Day. Yellow suggests friendship, joy and caring (though note in Victorian times it symbolized jealousy!). The meaning of pink I have mentioned above and orange is about passion and ambition. Lilac and purple mean love at first sight (though other meanings of those colors can include spirituality). And what about mixed colors? Well, let’s just settle on the fact that they are pretty!
Floriography
Did you know there is a language of flowers called ‘floriography‘? This is all about using flowers to convey messages. During Victorian times the idea of sending flowers as messages really took hold and when the symbolism of roses and other flowers started to really be used. It coincided with the publication of dictionaries exploring the meaning of flowers. Even the arrangement of the flowers sent was indicative, such that, arranged in a certain way, a flower could have an opposite, more negative meaning.
Symbolism of Roses in My Art
Breaking Through the Glass Ceiling
Orange roses indicate enthusiasm and desire. I have used the symbolism of roses in this piece ‘Breaking Through The Glass Ceiling’. ‘Breaking the glass ceiling‘ is a term from the 1980s that is still in use today. A glass ceiling is a metaphor for an invisible barrier that stops people (including women and ethnic minorities) achieving their full potential. It usually refers to the workplace. When I first started my consultancy business in the late 1980s, it was unusual for a woman to reach the upper echelons of management because of the ‘glass ceiling’ which prevented them from being promoted into higher positions. This image is, if you like, my memory of that time.
I Will Love You Always
In creating this piece ‘I Will Love You Always’ I put a lot of symbolism into practice, including the symbolism of roses along with the use of colors and a heart shape. Here, the pink roses (affection, perfection, gratitude and appreciation) are shown as emerging through a heart shape, reinforcing the concept of love and feeling straight from the heart. Overwhelmingly pink, the image has some yellow (companionship) and lilac (spiritual) overtones with small lights on the heart presented as ripe berries, suggesting fruition. This was designed as a gift for my Aunt who was dying of cancer.
That concludes a quick look at the symbolism of roses and how I use that symbolism in my work. The blog contains various links to more information for those interested in pursuing the subject.
Each of the images in this article are available to purchase as fine art prints and on gift items. Click on the image to be taken to a page with more information.
Before you go
My name is Dorothy Berry-Lound an artist and writer. You can find out more about my art and writing at https://dorothyberryloundart.com.
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Thank you for reading!
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