The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
Chinese Garden Lecture Series
(Free and open to the public, no reservations required)
Professor Ronald Egan, University of California, Santa Barbara
Professor Ronald Egan will discuss the symbolism of flowers in Chinese literature and art. Plum blossoms, chrysanthemums, peonies, lotus flowers, and other plants were often endowed with humanistic traits. Professor Egan will also explore the aesthetic tensions that occasionally surfaced as cultural tastes changed and new floral emblems gained favor.