Antique engraving by Pierre-Joseph Redouté

Old engraving by pierre-joseph redouté (1759-1840), engraved by jean-baptiste chapuy. Sold with frame and protected by a glass. Inscription on the back. Dotted engraving enhanced with the watercolor "fleurs de pommier" of "choix des plus belle fleurs" published in paris in 1827. "choix des plus belles fleurs" is a book of watercolor drawings by the french artist pierre-joseph redouté and contains 144 plates in flower colors, some including insects. Dreaded worked for half a century as an art teacher for queens and princesses. He dedicated the book to his pupils, princesses louise and marie d'orléans. Engraving: 21.5 X 27.5 cm. Frame: 33 X 39 cm. Belgian painter, engraver and draughtsman, pierre-joseph redouté is best known for his botanical watercolors, which earned him the nickname "raphaël des fleurs". On his arrival in paris on the eve of the revolution, redouté was introduced to the court by the flower painter gérard van spaendonck, whom he assisted in the realization of the "king's vellums". He continued to enrich this collection after the fall of the monarchy, producing more than 600 pieces until he was eighty years old for the natural history museum. A protégé of marie antoinette, he was also that of joséphine de beauharnais, who bought him all the original drawings of the liliacés. These were transcribed into engraving in a collection of 80 issues, considered the culmination of the painter's talent. Although an engraver himself, redouté could not carry out the entire interpretation of his drawings and surrounded himself with a substantial workshop to reproduce his models. Eighteen engravers were needed to make the liliaces. In the preliminary discourse of this collection, redouté expounded theory of illustration: "each of the plants will be represented in a colored plate with the flower and the details of fruiting; but these will be indicated at the bottom of the board by a simple.

Ref. : 2W9R1Y3B