Mistletoe in Art - Introduction
 Viscum album (with olive branch at base of pic) |
Mistletoe in Art? Probably an odd concept to most people. But with its distinctive shapes and colours (there aren’t many other white-berried plants) the traditional European mistletoe has a long-established place in both seasonal and non-seasonal art.
And the other ‘Christmas’ mistletoes, though less distinctive in shape, have also inevitably a ‘history’ in art – though only at Christmas. The difference between the two main Christmas species is demonstrated in the graphics on the left. |
 Phoradendron species |
Top is the 'distinctive' European Viscum album. Below is the American Phoradendron - not quite so unusual Examples of seasonal art are presented on the Christmas and New Year pages. Christmas mistletoe imagery is common everywhere today, but New Year material is more of a continental Europe tradition. The best mistletoe art is from the Art Nouveau period, when the characteristic shapes of European mistletoe inspired many designs. |
