"Un fior vano e fragile": The Symbolism of Poussin's Realm of Flora

The Blossoms of Loss: Ovid’s Floral Metamorphoses and Poussin’sRealm of Flora

“…Consistent with the notion that Poussin's gathering of the floral metamorphic myths had personal meaning, this most unusual collection has no known aesthetic precedent. Neither are they collected within the Metamorphoses, but rather are dispersed throughout the text; nor has the art-historical discourse agreed on an alternative programmatic source, despite a most vigorous search of classical and Renaissance texts, including commentaries, translations, and poetic glosses (Thomas 1986;Unglaub 2006;Van Helsdingen 2002;Worthen 1979). Poussin, it seems, collected Ovid's floral metamorphic myths himself.…”

“…Other scholars differ somewhat. Blunt (1967) posits that the canvas repurposes the pagan metamorphic myths as Christian allegories of resurrection, while Thomas (1986) maintains that it represents a meditation on vanitas and the linked tragedies of unhappy love and early death.…”