Artwork
Twelve Months of Flowers: December
Twelve Months of Flowers: December is a print by the Baroque artist Henry Fletcher. It dates from 1730 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
The composition showcases a variety of blossoms in red, yellow, blue and white, suggesting the seasonal abundance associated with the closing month of the year.
The 1730 print titled Twelve Months of Flowers: December is an English engraving that forms part of a twelve‑month botanical series. Executed by Henry Fletcher, the image presents a richly arranged bouquet within a vase, set against a muted beige backdrop. The composition showcases a variety of blossoms in red, yellow, blue and white, suggesting the seasonal abundance associated with the closing month of the year.
Subject & Meaning
The work illustrates a selection of winter‑time flora, arranged to convey a sense of fullness and celebration. By grouping the flowers and leaves so that some spill over the vase’s rim, the print emphasizes natural vitality even in December’s colder period, reflecting contemporary interests in the decorative potential of seasonal plants.
Technique & Style
Fletcher employed copperplate engraving, translating Pieter Casteels’s original drawings into fine line work. The engraving captures delicate petal textures and the interplay of light across the blossoms, while the limited colour palette—primarily reds, yellows, blues and whites—enhances the visual impact without resorting to the dramatic chiaroscuro typical of Baroque painting.
History & Provenance
The print was produced for a horticultural publication by Robert Furber, a well‑known gardener of the early eighteenth century. Fletcher, active in London from roughly 1710 to 1750, frequently collaborated with Casteels, adapting the Flemish artist’s designs for English audiences. The December plate thus reflects both the commercial networks of botanical publishing and the cross‑channel artistic exchange of the period.
Artist & collection
Artist
Henry Fletcher (fl. 1710–1750), was an English engraver. Fletcher worked in London, and produced engravings possessing some merit. He most excelled as an engraver of flowers, notably The Twelve Months of Flowers and The…
