Redoute. The Book of Flowers. 45th Ed.

Flower painter

Pierre-Joseph Redoute

(1759-1840) devoted himself exclusively to capturing the diversity of flowering plants in watercolor paintings which were then published as copper engravings, with careful botanical descriptions. The

darling of wealthy Parisian patrons

including

Napoleon's wife Josephine

, he was dubbed "

the Raphael of flowers

," and is regarded to this day as a

master of botanical illustration

.

This collection brings our best-selling XL-sized edition to a

smaller, more convenient format

, still gathering some of the

finest color engravings from Redoute's illustrations of

Roses

,

Lilies

, and

Choix des plus belles fleurs et quelques branches des plus beaux fruits

(

Selection of the Most Beautiful Blooms and Branches with the Finest Fruits

). Offering a vibrant overview of Redoute's admixture of accuracy and beauty, it is also a privileged glimpse into the

magnificent gardens and greenhouses of a bygone Paris

.