38 FLORAL SYMBOLISM 



stone flowers common in both French and Eng- 

 Ush Gothic churches were more often simply 

 those which the fancy of the architect or the 

 stone-cutter dictated and only represent vaguely 

 * good works springing from the root of virtues.' 



The happiest blooming time of these sym- 

 bolical flowers was the fifteenth centui*y. In the 

 fourteenth century artists, still timid of innova- 

 tions, had limited themselves to the lily and the 

 rose. But with increasing skill they made a 

 wider choice, though always under the eye and 

 with the assistance of those learned in such 

 matters, for the majority of sacred pictures were 

 commissioned directly by the Church or were 

 ordered as a gift to be presented to some religious 

 community. 



There were occasionally independent spirits 

 who, in some favourite blossom, so far un- 

 noticed, found beauty and symboHc fitness. 

 Thus Sano di Pietro of Siena constantly paints 

 the bright blue cornflower (which in Italy shares 

 its name of fiordaliso with the iris, the Uly and 

 the heraldic fleur-de-lys) upon the heads of both 

 angels and saints, meaning, perhaps, by the blue 

 stars, to indicate that these beings were denizens 



