Iris Boxed Notecards

In Greek mythology, Iris was the goddess of the rainbow and a messenger of the Olympian gods. The wildflower of the same name also conveys a heavenly message: spring has arrived! More than two hundred species of iris are found worldwide—primarily in northern temperate zones—and their large, eye-catching blossoms come in nearly all colors of the rainbow. Perhaps this is one reason why the iris has long rivaled the rose at engaging the eyes, minds, and hands of artists. Japanese artists, in particular, have for centuries relished capturing the flower’s beauty in their work, as the iris holds a treasured place in their country’s folklore.

Focusing on interpretations of the iris from the eighteenth through the twentieth centuries, the four images reproduced here are from the extraordinary collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.