Cypresses, roses, cacti and palms... these plants are nature's reminder that thorns and sharp, pointed shapes create the perfect contrast with the curved, soft, rounded forms that surround them. Throughout the history of art, we find them in the crown of thorns worn by Christ, in the thistles depicted by Dürer, and even in the pointed branches of Giuseppe Pennone's trees. They remind us that life is not always gentle, that difficulties have their beauty and symbolise strong, assertive characters. But beware: Don't pick the prickly pear by the paw.