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Painted portrait of a brown Newfoundland in a green embroidered cap and doublet, holding a basket of pink and red roses. 15 / 24

The Royal Gardener Is Back From the Palace Grounds With the Morning's Finest

AI imagenewfoundlandroyal portraittudor

Fresh from the palace gardens, the royal gardener presents the morning's finest blooms. A big brown Newfoundland with a shaggy chocolate coat and kind, dark eyes sits for his portrait wearing a soft green cap edged with golden embroidery. His green doublet is stitched with gold vines, leaves, and tiny rosebuds, with an earthy olive apron tied at his waist. Resting in his lap is a wicker basket overflowing with roses in shades of blush, rose pink, and deep red. Behind him, the dark green wall is patterned with stylized roses and leaves.

Gardens were a source of great pride for Tudor monarchs and nobles. One of the most fashionable designs of the age was the knot garden, in which low hedges of herbs such as box, thyme, or lavender were clipped into intricate interlacing patterns, best admired from an upstairs window. Roses were especially beloved, both for their beauty and their symbolism, given the importance of the Tudor rose. They were also practical: rose petals were used to make rosewater for cooking, perfume, and washing. A skilled royal gardener would have been a valued member of the household.

This gentle giant looks perfectly suited to the job. Newfoundlands are known for their sweet, patient temperament, and it is easy to imagine him moving carefully along the garden paths, choosing only the most perfect roses to carry back to the palace.

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