Lee Greene Richards (1878-1950),
Gladiolus, 1932, oil on canvas, 39 7/8 x 31 3/4 inches. Brigham Young University Museum of Art, 1937.
Today we celebrate the flower of August, the gladiolus, a colorful perennial flower. The gladiolus symbolizes strength, integrity, and, in a more romantic vein, infatuation. This oil painting by Lee Greene Richards depicts a lovely woman in the midst of gladioli, perhaps tending to her garden. Alternatively, the flowers may be serving simply as a symbol of her virtue.