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A book of floral illustrations, made around 1510 to 1515, is full of beautiful blooms. Yet its creation marked a late season in European art history. Museum curators at The Metropolitan Museum of Art call this period "the last flowering" of manuscript illumination in the medieval tradition in northern Europe.
This book was created in the workshop of a mysterious artist known as the Master of Claude de France. This was one of the most famous workshops in the French city of Tours in the early 1500s. The book takes the form of a model book. Artists used such books as examples for future work. Indeed, several later art projects for Queen Claude of France drew inspiration from this book. However, the book shows little wear and tear. This has led historians like Jörn Günther to ask if the Master of Claude de France intended it to be a collection of botanical art for its own sake, rather than just a tool for his workshop.
The Master's true name remains unknown. He probably trained with famous artists Jean Bourdichon and possibly Jean Poyer. He and his workshop are known for creating books of hours and prayer books. These were very small, often fitting comfortably in the palm of a hand.
Earlier botanical illustrations often included educational notes or text. They served as guides for medicine or as symbols. This book is different. It has no descriptive text. The flowers seem less like tools for learning and more like independent objects of beauty.
The plants shown are all of European origin. They are not mostly ornamental garden flowers. Instead, the book favors crops and medicinal herbs. The artist used opaque watercolors, organic glazes, and gold and silver paint. These materials create a surprising effect of perspective. The plants seem to grow outward from the paper toward the person looking at them.
The artist also played with scale in delightful ways. In one illustration, a jaybird perches on the leaf of a giant blackberry. It looks as if it is waiting for the fruit to ripen. In another, a long-eared owl seems confused by the huge size of a fleshy plant unfolding above its head.
Toward the end of the book, the alphabet appears across two pages. It is printed over pictures of an apothecary rose and a white rose of York. The artist used the parchment's thinness to show the letters through the flower images. Is this a hidden reference to a supposed language of flowers? Could it be a hint that God spelled out his intentions through the very parts of a flower? The white rose is approached by a stag beetle. During this period, the stag beetle was a symbol of evil. Its presence might be a reminder that beauty and grace can flourish even against difficult odds.
This manuscript was acquired by The Met Cloisters in 2019. If you visit the museum when Manhattan is in full bloom, you can see a special connection. Every plant specimen from the Master of Claude de France's book has been planted in the Cloisters' gardens. It allows visitors to watch as art seems to step off the page and into real life.
Below are examples of the flowers illustrated in the book, showing its focus on European plants, many of them useful rather than purely decorative.
Blackberry, unripe fruits and flower (Rubus sectio rubus) – This image includes the jaybird perched on a large leaf.
Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica) – A small, delicate blue flower.
Marigold (Calendula arvensis) – A bright flower often used for its properties.
Chicory (Cichorium intybus) – A plant whose roots were sometimes used as a coffee substitute.
Snow-in-Summer (Cerastium tomentosum) – Named for its white, woolly leaves.
Dark Mullein (Verbascum nigrum) – A tall plant with yellow flowers, used in traditional medicine.
Hen and Chicks (Sempervivum tectorum) – A succulent plant that often grows on roofs.
Scottish Thistle (Onopordium acanthium) – A prickly, iconic plant.
Grapevine (Vitis vinifera) – Important for fruit and wine.
Blue Pimpernel (Anagallis foemina) – A small, sky-blue flower.
Hazelnut (Corylus avellana) – A shrub grown for its nuts.
Red Carnation (Dianthus sp.) – A fragrant, layered flower.
Sweet Violet (Viola odorata) – Known for its sweet scent.
Saffron Crocus (Crocus sativus) – The source of the valuable spice saffron.
St. Peter's Keys (Primula veris) – Also known as cowslip, a spring flower.
Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca) – The ancestor of cultivated strawberries.
Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) – A common field daisy.
Primrose (Primula vulgaris) – An early spring flower.
Common Daisy (Bellis perennis) – The classic lawn flower.
White Lily (Lilium candidum) – A pure white, symbolic flower.
Heart's Ease Violet (Viola tricolor) – Also called a wild pansy.
Corn Poppy (Papaver rhoeas) – The bright red field poppy.
Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) – A vibrant blue flower once common in grain fields.
Red Catchfly (Silene dioica) – A pink wildflower.
Iris (Iris versicolor) – A tall, elegant flower.
Borage (Borago officinalis) – A plant with star-shaped blue flowers, used in cooking.
Snowdrop (Galanthus nivalis) – One of the first flowers to bloom at winter's end.
Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) – A common weed with many uses.
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) – A tall, bell-shaped flower that is also a source of important heart medicine.
Autumn Buttercup (Ranunculus bullatus) – A late-blooming flower.
St. Bernard's Lily (Anthericum liliago) – A slender plant with white flowers.
Wild Pea (Pisum sativum) – The ancestor of garden peas.
Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris) – A flower with unique, spurred petals.
Apothecary Rose (Rosa gallica) – A rose historically used for medicine. The alphabet appears over this flower in the manuscript.
White Rose of York (Rosa alba) – A classic white rose. The alphabet and the stag beetle appear with this flower.
Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys) – A small blue flower.
Fava Bean, fruits and flowers (Vicia faba) – An important crop plant.