fie --
The flower associated with Marguerite d'Angouleme (1492-1549) is the
daisy, most probably the species of white daisy that has come to known
as a "marguerite." The flower is in the genus "Chrysanthemum":
"Marguerite: European plant belonging to the daisy family. It is a
shrubby perennial with white daisylike flowers.
Dictionary of Plants: Marguerite
http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/dictionaries/animalsplants/data/m0014984.html
Here is a link to an image of a marguerite daisy:
Marguerite Daisy
http://islamic-world.net/children/flora_and_fauna/pic-flower/Marguerite-daisy.gif
The association of this flower with Marguerite d'Angouleme (also known
of Marguerite of Navarre) is demonstrated in the following online
sources:
"This is thought to be a portrait of Marguerite d'Angouleme who was
the sister of King Francis I of France. Clouet was court painter to
Francis I. This painting is full of symbols which may give clues to
the painting's meaning. The sitter wears daisies in her hat. The
French word for daisy is Marguerite."
The Walker Museum: Princess Marguerite of Angouleme'
http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/collections/13c-16c/princess.asp
As further evidence, a historical manuscript is described this way:
"Although a Catholic, Queen Marguerite of Navarre (b. 1492-d. 1549),
King Francis I's sister, protected and corresponded with reformers.
Written for Marguerite at the time of her marriage (1527), this
manuscript opens with two large miniatures. On folio 1 verso is a
golden crown inside a wreath bearing the arms of the princess. On
folio 2, Marguerite's husband, Henry of Albret, king of Navarre
(1517-1555) and grandfather of the future Henry IV (1589-1610), is
shown holding a marguerite daisy.
Creating French Culture: Treasures for the Bibliotheque Nationale de
France (2/3 down the page)
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/bnf/bnf0004.html
Finally, a description of the books in Marguerite's library includes the following:
"The remains of her library are chiefly devotional manuscripts. Indeed,
it is to be noted that all these ladies, however frivolous,
possessed the most devout and pious books, and whole collections of
prayers copied out by the pen, and decorated with miniatures.
Marguerite's library was bound in morocco, stamped with a crowned M
in interlaces sown with daisies, or, at least, with conventional
flowers which may have been meant for daisies."
The conclusion that daisies (and probably marguerite daisies
specifically) were the flower associated with Marguerite d'Angouleme
is buttressed by the fact that I have found no evidence whatsoever
that marigolds (a showy colorful flower of entirely different
appearance) were associated with her in any way.
Additional Information:
Here are links to descriptions of the colors of varieties of present-day marigolds:
Alabama Cooperative Extension System: Marigolds
http://www.aces.edu/department/com_veg/trials/marigold.htm
And here is a link to an image of a typical marigold:
Catcode: Marigold
http://catcode.com/oly_d500/flora/marigold.jpg
Search Strategy:
I began with this simple Google search:
"marguerite d'angouleme" flower OR flowers
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=%22Marguerite+d%27Angouleme%22+flower+OR+flowers&btnG=Search
This led to one of the references to "daisies" that I cited above (and
to no other flowers), so I then used the following search to find the
other references to daisies:
"marguerite d'angouleme" daisy OR daisies
://www.google.com/search?q=%22Marguerite+d%27Angouleme%22+daisies+OR+daisy&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off
To assure that I hadn't missed something, I used other searches with
terms such as "fleur," "symbols," and others.
I am confident that this is the information you are seeking, and I am
happy to have been able to provide it to you promptly. If anything is
unclear, please ask for clarification before rating this answer.
markj-ga |
