From 6 June 2025 to 31 May 2026, the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum in Cologne is celebrating the fascinating diversity of Baroque flower painting with the exhibition “B{L}OOMING — Baroque Flower Splendour”. Roses, tulips and carnations were not only used for decorative purposes in the Baroque period, but were also used as remedies and symbols of love, faith and loyalty. The artists of this era immortalised this ephemeral beauty in magnificent paintings, some of which come from private collections and some of which have been newly researched or recently restored. The innovative “flower trail” also leads visitors from the exhibition to the permanent collection, where further blooming masterpieces can be discovered.
A particular highlight of “B{L}OOMING” is the look at the emergence of flower painting as an independent motif around 1600 in Flanders. From here, the genre spread throughout Europe and found outstanding representatives such as Daniel Seghers, Jan Brueghel the Elder, Adriaen Coorte, Roelant Savery, Giovanni Stanchi and Peter Binoit. Their works still shine as colourfully today as they did four hundred years ago. The exhibition is complemented by a constantly freshly arranged bouquet of flowers presented by florists who can actively apply — a living homage to the timeless floral splendour of past centuries.
