Buttercups (Ranunculus bulbosus), from the Flowers series for Old Judge Cigarettes 1890

Goodwin & Company made this lithograph of Buttercups for the Old Judge Cigarettes series. In the Victorian era, the language of flowers was a common form of communication, imbuing each bloom with specific meanings. Buttercups, with their radiant yellow petals, often symbolized cheerfulness and charm, but also ingratitude. Consider how floral symbolism, while rooted in cultural practices, taps into deeper psychological associations. Flowers recur in art across millennia; think of the delicate lilies in Renaissance Annunciations, emblems of purity and the Virgin Mary, or the wilting sunflowers of Van Gogh, expressing decay and the transience of life. Even in ancient Egyptian tombs, floral offerings were common, reflecting beliefs about rebirth and afterlife. The buttercup's symbolism of cheerfulness perhaps echoes our collective desire for joy, while the darker association with ingratitude might reflect suppressed anxieties about human relationships. These flowers remind us that symbols are not static; they evolve, shaped by our ever-changing cultural and emotional landscapes.