Flowers of the Renaissance

The inspirations behind this series are multiple and eclectic. They range from Renaissance portraiture to Dutch still life and Victorian fantasy. But the starting point and crucial catalyst for the series was Celia Fisher’s wonderful book Flowers of the Renaissance. I am fascinated by the book, which exposed me to many Renaissance images I had never previously seen, particularly illustrated manuscripts. The use of floral frames as integral part of some of the images comes directly from those manuscripts. As with any worthwhile initiative, the project gained a momentum of its own. As a consequence the final images are different, hopefully better, and definitely more eclectic than the original conception. I have always felt most comfortable when the creation of images is a collaborative effort. That is not to seek to diffuse responsibility for the success of the result but to recognise that the contribution of different ideas and perspectives during the process can only enrich the final result. The various contributors to this collective result are set out below and I thank them all. One person became involved only late in the process but made a disproportionate contribution. That is Paola Sammartino who took charge of the digital retouching and integration of the images and whose knowledge of and sympathy for Renaissance imagery has been critical to the project. In the way of the modern world, Paola and I live in different countries and have never met. But we have worked sufficiently closely over the past month or so for me to regard her as the joint owner of the project. The Credits Conceived and Photographed by James Hall Photographer's Assistant, Rebecca Dennis Composited and retouched by Paola Sammartino Styling by James Hall, Paola Sammartino and Claudia Oliver Frames and floral arrangements by Carol Hall Hair and Makeup by Adele Coxon Models, Charli Meredith, India Pearson and Rhiannon Holdaway at Ugly Models