But it also strives to tell an aesthetic story; hence, the presence of Iznik dishes decorated with tulips and other floral motifs, Dutch still lifes (including a tour de force by Rachel Ruysch featuring poppies with frayed petals that seem to be suffering an electric shock), a drab watercolour of a dog rose by John Ruskin, and a panel painted in 1879 by Lawrence Alma-Tadema depicting a coquettish pale-skinned brunette half-hiding behind orchids. The third and final gallery is filled exclusively with work by contemporary artists, some of it skilfully, and earnestly, executed but second-rate.
If there is a thread, it’s our fascination with nature’s marvellous weirdness. Several astonishing botanical illustrations – including that watercolour of a sunflower – exult in the outlandish, otherworldly forms of specific plants, often blown-up and rendered with crystalline precision.
Intriguing stories are alluded to throughout – such as the peculiar Victorian obsession with ferns, which may have influenced the intricate, frond-like design on custard creams. But, in the end, the blooms of interest and knowledge feel unconnected.
At the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, from March 19 until Aug 16; ashmolean.org