In 1908, Maurice Pillard Verneuil (1869-1942) demonstrated the decorative possibilities of natural forms in a volume entitled The Study of the Plant and its Applications in Art Industries. Verneuil, who was trained in the classical tradition of fine art, turned his interests toward applied art while studying with the Art Nouveau master Eugene Grasset.

Though deeply influenced by Grasset, Verneuil developed his own personal style and eventually published several books, on his own and in collaboration with other artists, on decorative patterns and typography.

Decorative Flowers reproduces 178 of Verneuil's careful botanical studies and the dazzling decorative variations that were based on them, all rendered in the sensuous rhythms and delicate colors of Art Nouveau. An excerpt from Verneuil's own text on interior decoration - he was a passionate advocate for the importance of color in pleasing the eye and influencing the emotions - is supplemented by commentaries on the drawings by William Wheeler, who selected the illustrations for this book.