Florilèges – White Lily

The Virgin’s lily, to which Thornton devotes the 20th plate of his work, is one of those flowers that people have always appreciated. Symbols of purity and virtue, these radiantly white large trumpet-shaped blooms have accompanied the most wonderful stories, from the Byzantine empire to French royalty. To accentuate the splendour of the flower, the artist who worked on Thornton’s plate chose a dark background, a feature reproduced on the dial of the watch. The pistils, depicted in the minutest detail, seem to be about to move, while the soft lustre of the petals, highlighted by the finely guilloché pattern, draws light into the enamel.