I saw this water lily in a small pond in the landscaping of an apartment complex. The water lily has been called the 'jewel of the pond'. It is quite elegant, yet serve a valuable purpose in the ecosystem of a pond. You can read about its beauty and benefits here: http://theponddigger.com/water-lilies.php

Claude Monet did a series of paintings of water lilies: http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/438008

The US Post Office recently issued four stamps picturing water lilies. Each stamp depicts a close-up of the flower of one of four classic garden water lilies. See: http://uspsstamps.com/stamps/water-lilies