Richard Mayhew at the de Young Museum: Art, Landscape, and the Beauty of Nature

A recent visit to the de Young Museum offered a wonderful opportunity to experience the museum’s beloved annual exhibition Bouquets to Art, where floral designers create arrangements inspired by works in the museum’s collection.

One particularly beautiful moment came while standing in front of a luminous landscape painting by Richard Mayhew. Beside the painting, a vibrant floral arrangement had been carefully designed to echo the colors, movement, and spirit of the work. The pairing was striking—flowers and landscape coming together in a way that highlighted the deep connection between nature and artistic expression.

Richard Mayhew is widely celebrated for his atmospheric landscapes, which are known for their rich color, emotional depth, and sense of memory embedded within the natural world. Rather than depicting specific locations, Mayhew’s paintings often evoke the feeling of a place—an inner landscape shaped by experience, history, and imagination. His work invites viewers to reflect on the relationship between land, identity, and the passage of time.

Seeing Mayhew’s work in dialogue with a living floral arrangement was a powerful reminder of how deeply nature informs his artistic vision. The vibrant bouquet mirrored the energy and color of the painting, reinforcing the idea that art and nature continually inspire one another.

Events like Bouquets to Art bring a new perspective to works in museum collections by inviting contemporary designers to respond creatively to the art. In doing so, they reveal fresh layers of meaning and encourage viewers to look more closely at the works on view.

For visitors to San Francisco, this exhibition offers a wonderful opportunity to experience art in a new and engaging way. The combination of fine art and floral design creates a vibrant environment that celebrates both creativity and the natural world.

For collectors who admire the work of Richard Mayhew, his paintings remain among the most compelling examples of contemporary landscape painting today. His work is held in major museum collections across the United States and continues to inspire new generations of artists and collectors alike.

If you are interested in learning more about Richard Mayhew or adding one of his works to your collection, we would be happy to assist. Please feel free to contact Thelma Harris Art Gallery for additional information.