Voynich Meadow: Thistle
This five-part botanical series draws inspiration from the enigmatic “Voynich Manuscript,” a 15th-century codex shrouded in mystery and written in an unknown language. The artwork reimagines the manuscript’s surreal herbal illustrations through a contemporary painterly lens—imbuing each plant with layered symbolism and mythical associations.
With visual references to Amethyst Basil, Laurel, Nerium Oleander, Sunflower, and Thistle, the series bridges natural science, alchemy, and spiritual lore. The stylized forms and soft antique tones echo Renaissance herbals, yet the dreamlike rendering invites open interpretation—what is medicinal, what is mystical, and what is merely imagined?
Together, the panels offer a poetic meditation on forgotten knowledge, healing traditions, and the beauty of cryptic language growing wild in an allegorical meadow.
This work was inspired and adapted from the "Voynich Manuscript," a 15th century codex hand-written in an unknown writing system, which may have been composed in Northern Italy during the Italian Renaissance. The mystery of the meaning and origin of the manuscript has excited the popular imagination, making the manuscript the subject of novels and speculation.
The thistle is actually part of the sunflower family, and is the national symbol for Scotland. To the Celts, the thistle represented bravery, devotion, durability, strength, and determination. Just try to pick one up! Its emerald hue symbolizes balance between head and heart. Green is the color of life, nature, and balance. Purple is the color of love, protection, sacrifice, and nobility. Inwardly, the thistle unites these attributes towards higher consciousness and enlightenment.
Frame size options: 12x24, 18x24, 24x30, 24x36