Old school tattoo design

Sailors also often got tattoos of roses. With a feminine connotation, the rose would be a symbol of the women that they loved and left behind. Whether that was their mum, wife or lover.

Sparking from Greek mythology, the rose was symbolic of Aphrodite, so it’s not surprising that this image represented the ideas of love and beauty when it was tattooed.

You often will see roses paired with other subject matter. Whether it be to complement the concept (like the natural combination of a rose with a butterfly) or something a little more a juxtaposing.