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Today I bought a new book. It is called Pink Ladies & Crimson Gents: Portraits and Legends of 50 Roses by Molly & Don Glentzer.
From the inside flap:
"Storied Characters such as Greenmantle, the heroine of Sir Walter Scott's novel Redgauntlet. As attention-getting as the character's exquisite green silk cape, the rose's leaves, rather than its blossoms, are the source of its heady fragrance.
Artful Personalities such as Peter Paul Rubens, the Flemish master whoe paintings often featured the luminous skin of voluptuous goddesses. Fittingly, his namesake rose is a heavenly flesh color, tinged with pink.
Heroes, Heroines, and Rascals such as Napoleon. The petals of his eponymous rose become darker and more disheveled as they age, much like the emperor who fell deep into madness after building an empire.
Nobles and Notables such as King Louis-Philippe. Some liken the rich fragrance of this rose to cherries, although the shape of its buds may be more true to its namesake's character: The king was often portrayed in caricatures as a pear.
Well-bred Ladies and Gents such as the intrepid British tea thief Robert Fortune. On a secret mission in China, he clipped the rose that became known as 'Fortune's Double Yellow'."
The photos are great. I might paint some. Reminds me of painting watercolors of roses with Dona Rafaela in her garden in Puerto Rico.