Lavender

The scent of lavender fills the air in the French region of Provence. Hans Silvester, who has lived in Provence for almost 40 years, has photographed lavender in all four seasons, capturing the changing colors, shapes, and formal beauty of the plant. This vibrant new edition of the 1996 original features an updated design and a smaller format. The stunning photographs, 40 of which are new to this edition, are complemented by a revised text and the addition of informative captions. As Silvester's photographs show, the fields of lavender encapsulate the sometimes contradictory nature of Provence: the rich, potent purple of summer contrasting with the subdued amber of autumn; the hard, gray earth of winter giving way to the tender green of spring. His images also reveal the area's varied terrain, from broad plains to hills and mountains, where scattered farms form a lavender patchwork on the rocky slopes. The text, by fragrance expert Christiane Meunier, recounts the history of lavender, which, as this sumptuous volume demonstrates, remains an essential element of the character and beauty of Provence.