‘Everlasting Flowers between the Pages’: Book presentation in The Hague

On 3 December 2025, the KB, National Library of the Netherlands in The Hague will host the presentation of Everlasting Flowers between the Pages: The Making of Seventeenth-Century Florilegia, the forthcoming book by Dr. Jessie Wei-Hsuan Chen. Published by Brill in the Emergence of Natural History series, the volume explores the artistic, scientific, and cultural dimensions of how early modern Europeans represented the natural world through images of flowers.

Poppy anemones from Jardin de rares et curieux fleurs (second half of the seventeenth century), Oak Spring Garden Foundation, Upperville, credit Brill

In seventeenth-century Europe, florilegia—lavishly produced picture books depicting a wide variety of plants—became objects of fascination for scholars, collectors, and gardeners. Many of the flowers they featured came from distant regions such as the Americas and Asia, reflecting both Europe’s expanding horizons and its growing curiosity about nature. Everlasting Flowers between the Pages examines these florilegia as material objects, revealing the skills, knowledge, and collaboration required to transform living plants into enduring works of art.

Through her analysis, Dr. Chen shows how florilegia served as bridges between artistic practice and scientific inquiry, combining precise observation with creative imagination. Each illustration was the result of a complex process: gardeners cultivating exotic species, artists capturing their fleeting beauty, and printers and patrons preserving them on paper and parchment. In tracing these interconnected worlds, Chen reconsiders the ways in which early modern Europeans sought to understand, collect, and immortalize nature.

Variegated tulips and a poppy anemone from a tulip book by Jacob Marrel (c.1640), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, credit **Brill**

More than a study of botanical illustration, the book offers a broader reflection on how knowledge, beauty, and craftsmanship converged in early modern culture. It situates florilegia within the global exchange of plants and ideas, highlighting how art and science were mutually dependent in the making of natural history. The result is a richly illustrated and intellectually vibrant work that deepens our appreciation of how early modern people viewed the living world.

The book presentation at the KB will begin at 14:00 with a walk-in and welcome by Esther van Gelder of the National Library and the editors of the Emergence of Natural History series. Dr. Chen will present her research at 14:50, followed by a panel discussion on “The State of the Field(s) and Practical Knowledge,” moderated by Marieke Hendriksen (Huygens Institute/KNAW) and featuring scholars Marlise Rijks, Sietske Fransen, and Trude Dijkstra.

The afternoon will also include a pop-up show of reconstructions and creative projects inspired by the book. Attendance is free but registration is required at tickets.kb.nl.

Everlasting Flowers between the Pages has been published in September 2025 and is available for order at brill.com/display/title/70483.