Summer 1890

Frank Benson's "Summer" captures a woman adorned with a floral crown, a symbol deeply rooted in ancient traditions. Such wreaths, seen in classical antiquity, often signified victory, honor, or a connection to nature’s cyclical rhythms. Consider Botticelli's Venus, similarly crowned, emerging from the sea. The flowers denote fertility, renewal, and the life-giving force of the goddess. Here, Benson's figure echoes that sentiment, yet her downcast gaze introduces a layer of introspection, a melancholy not found in Botticelli’s triumphant goddess. This gentle sorrow resonates with the pre-Raphaelite depictions of figures like Ophelia, where floral motifs become entwined with themes of loss and ephemeral beauty. The evolution of the floral crown reflects our own changing relationship with nature. From a symbol of celebration to a poignant reminder of life's transience, it engages us on a deeply emotional level, tapping into our collective memory and subconscious understanding of beauty, decay, and renewal. This motif, ever-present, continually resurfaces and transforms.