Flowers have long been admired and used by humans to beautify their environment, but also as objects of romance, ritual, religion, medicine and as a source of food. Many flowers have important symbolic meanings in Western culture. The great variety of delicate and beautiful flowers has inspired the works of numerous poets, especially from the 18th-19th century Romantic era. Because of their varied and colorful appearance, flowers have long been a favorite subject of visual artists as well.