Rose geranium - Pierre Joseph Redouté Poster.

Pierre-Joseph Redouté Biography

• Born July 10, 1759 in Saint-Hubert, Belgium
• In 1782, he moved to Paris and studied botanical illustration.
• In the late 1780s, he became botanical painter to Marie Antoinette, Queen of France.
• Even after the French Revolution, he continued to produce botanical illustrations and was patronized by Empress Josephine of Napoleon.
• In 1809, he taught painting to Empress Marie Louise.
• In 1824 he became professor of painting at the Natural History Museum in Paris.
• Died in Paris on June 19, 1840 (aged 80)

Representative works

• The Roses (1817–1824)
• The Lilies (1802–1816)
• Choix des plus belles fleurs (1827-1833)

Redouté's style and achievements

Redouté's work is characterized by his botanical illustrations, which accurately and precisely depict the plant's form and color. In order to contribute to botanical research, he observed the plant in detail and faithfully reproduced it. At the same time, his botanical illustrations are also highly accomplished works of art, expressing the beauty of the plant to the fullest.

Redouté's use of multicolor copperplate printing techniques enabled him to mass-produce his botanical illustrations , which led to his works reaching the hands of many botanists and enthusiasts, and contributing to the popularization of botany. His botanical illustrations are also highly regarded by art lovers for their beauty .

Redouté is a representative botanical artist of the 18th and 19th centuries who combined botany with art . His work is also significant in terms of the harmony between natural science and art.