Background design from the Think Vintage Library
Roses have a long history of symbolism in the ancient language of flowers, most commonly known as the symbol of love and beauty, a representation that dates back to Ancient Greece where the goddess of love Aphrodite was depicted by the rose. But perhaps because of their natural alluring beauty, yet sharp thorned stem, roses have come to be associated with darkness…
- Famous botanical drawings by Pierre-Joseph Redouté official artist of Marie Antoinette’s court. These illustrations were depictions of rose species from the garden of Napoleon’s wife, Joséphine de Beaumarchais
In the 1960s skull and rose iconography became popular on psychedelic rock posters for Grateful Dead and Jimi Hendrix, which triggered a long association between rock culture and roses. The inspiration for the famous Grateful Dead skull and rose logo was taken from an illustration of the 1913 publication of the ‘The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám’ by medieval Persian poet Omar Khayyám, which illustrated the scenes of Christian martyrs who would feast with rose-filled skulls as table decoration during the crusades.
Grateful Dead logo
Kate Moss April 1995 Vogue editorial 'The Rose Bowl'
The Rose Bowl
Given their ambiguous symbolic history and natural beauty roses have remained a popular subject for prints. Notable rose florals; Rodarte’s Mexican rosa chiffon for their Fall 2010 collection, Jil Sander’s technicolour dream for S/S 2011 and Josh Goot’s red and pink rose petal print for S/S 2011.
Josh Goot S/S 2011
