Pierre-Joseph Redouté Saint-Hubert 1759 - 1840 Paris

Acquired from the artist by the Empress Josephine.

This watercolor was produced for the Description Des Plantes Rares Cultivées à Malmaison et à Navarre (Paris 1812-17, text by Aimé-Jacques A. Bonpland), an illustrated catalogue of exotic and rare plants grown in the Empress Josephine' gardens at her Châteaux at Malmaison and Navarre.  The work was limited to 325 copies and was a sequel to Pierre Ventenat's Jardin de la Malmaison (1803-05), also illustrated by Redouté.  The present highly finished watercolor was the basis from which an engraved plate was made; the ensuing engraving was then hand colored and assembled into the separate editions.