Redouté, Pierre Joseph

Two watercolours over pencil, on vellum prepared white. Signed in brown ink, lower left: "P.J. Redouté"; delicately washed, lower part of the original mount with the name of the rose in gold saved, signature faded for the "Rosa Banksiae." 15 1/4 x 10 5/8 in; 385 x 272 mm and 15 3/8 x 10 3/4 in; 392 x 279 mm. 

Princess Maria Carolina Luisa de Bourbon, Duchesse de Berry, for whom purchased from the artist in 1828 by King Charles X of France — Princess Teresa Cristina de Bourbon, Empress of Brazil, to whom sold by the Duchesse by 1854 — probably by descent to her daughter, Isabel, Princess Imperial fo Brazil — probably by descent to her son, Prince Pierre d'Alcantara d'Orleans-Bragance — Pierre Beres, New York, by whom sold on August or September 1950 to Mr. Elmo B. Chase — by descent to the present owner

Engraved: P.-J. Redouté and C.-A. Thory, Les Roses, Paries, 1817-1824

Delicately washed, lower part of the original mount with the name of the rose in gold saved, signature faded for the "Rosa Banksiae".
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These two watercolours belong to Redouté's most famous work Les Roses (1817-1824). Following the success of the monumental Les Liliacees, Redouté started the new project of painting the many different species of roses, from the Jardin de la Malmaison first, then from gardens around Paris and finally with help from such famous botanists as A. Bonpland or Alexander von Humboldt.

In 1828, Redoute had to sell his original watercolours to King Charles X of France who offered them to the Duchesse de Berry. A large set of 52 watercolours was sold at Sotheby's London, December 7, 2010. It was bought by Frederick, 2nd Lord Hesketh between 1950 and 1955 from the dealers Lionel and Philip Robinson. Both watercolours presented here were part of a set of 6 sold by the dealer Pierre Beres to Mr. Elmo B. Chase in 1950. We can deduce that the 170 watercolours were bought, straight after the war, by an association of dealers and separated to be sold plate by plate to important collectors.