3rd - 20th April 2006

English Florists’ Tulips is an exhibition of 30 watercolours painted on calfskin vellum. The theme of the exhibition explores the English Florists’ tulip, also known as ‘flamed’ or ‘broken’ tulips which were brought to England in the 17^th century from Holland and France. The breeding of English Florists’ tulips reached its peak in the 19^th century with many societies devoted to perfecting the desired shape of ‘half a hollow ball’. The ‘breaking’ that creates the dramatic striped and feathered effects is caused by a virus.

Celia Hegedüs mostly works from life specimens which were grown by members of the last remaining Florists’ society, The Wakefield and North of England Tulip Society, founded in 1836, which is a living link with the tulips of ‘Tulipomania’ in Holland in the early part of the 1630s.

Celia started painting irises and then moved on to auriculus and now for the last five years she has been passionate about painting the English Florists’ Tulip. “I became hooked when I realised they still existed. I am intrigued by the fact they are so old and I am always after the perfect specimen”.

Celia Hegedüs was born in 1949. As well as previous solo exhibitions with Offer Waterman & Co, her work has been in many group exhibitions such as the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, the Society of Botanical Artists, and the Royal Horticultural Society. Since 1995 Celia has won 6 Gold Medals from the Royal Horticultural Society. Her work is in many permanent and private collections including The Royal Horticultural Society Lindley Collection, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and The Shirley Sherwood Collection.