Olga Bonne - A Perfect Gathering

“Christmas, to me, carries a certain melancholy. It’s a time for reflection – a reminder of life’s cycles and its transience,” says Olga Bonne, who uses the holiday to turn inward, look ahead to brighter days, and nurture her longing for the first snowdrops. At Christmas, Olga tries to hold onto the most cherished memories – especially those of summer: images of flowers, butterflies, bees, and grass bending gently in the wind. These memories are carried to the table, where she invites some of her historical heroines to dine with her.

In tribute to eight remarkable women and to nature itself, Olga has set the table with a heavy burnt umber linen cloth and a specially painted Flora Danica service, where each woman is represented by a personal flower. The guests are brought together across time and space, united by a shared reverence for nature. Among them are Virginia Woolf, Georgia O’Keeffe, Hildegard von Bingen, Karen Blixen, Louise Bourgeois, Beatrix Potter, Maria Sibylla Merian and Pythia, the Oracle of Delphi.