Greystones Fine Interiors

Description

Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759-1840) was one of the most talented botanical artists ever known. He is also possibly the most popular botanical artist in history - his sharpened observation and individual creativeness distinguishing him as a true artist as opposed to being an illustrator. Redouté was fortunate to become an artist who was patronized by the kings of France from Louis XVI to Louis-Philippe. His profile also has a unique claim to fame. His status and reputation was enhanced in no small way due to his patronage by two of the premier first ladies of European history - Marie Antoinette and Josephine Bonaparte. Whilst he is most famed for Les Roses (1817 - 21) he also created extraordinary studies of Fruits and Flower, a collection of which we offer. Redouté's original watercolours are characterised by subtle gradations of tone and when exploring methods for accurately reproducing his paintings Redouté's selected stipple engraving which produced simply astonishing and exquisite plates. Redouté's plates have artistic value, and botanical and documentary value, both for the species and cultivars still surviving and for those that have disappeared.

Here we are delighted to offer an extraordinary Tulip by Pierre-Joseph Redouté. Tulips are a spring-blooming perennial. The flowers are usually large, showy and brightly colored (usually in warm colors). They often have a different colored blotch at the base of the tepals (petals and sepals, collectively), internally. The tulip is a member of the lily family, Liliaceae, along with 14 other genera.. There are about 75 species. The name "tulip" is thought to be derived from a Persian word for turban, which it may have been thought to resemble. Tulips originally were found in a band stretching from Southern Europe to Central Asia, but since the seventeenth century have become widely naturalised and cultivated. In their natural state they are adapted to steppes and mountainous areas with temperate climates. Flowering in the spring. Originally growing wild in the valleys of the Tian Shan Mountains, tulips were cultivated in Constantinople as early as 1055. By the 15th century, tulips were among the most prized flowers becoming the symbol of the Ottomans. While tulips had probably been cultivated in Persia from the tenth century, they did not come to the attention of the West until the sixteenth century, when Western diplomats to the Ottoman court observed and reported on them. They were rapidly introduced into Europe and became a frenzied commodity during Tulip mania. Tulips were frequently depicted in Dutch Golden Age paintings, and have become associated with the Netherlands, the major producer for world markets, ever since. In the seventeenth century Netherlands, during the time of the Tulip mania, an infection of tulip bulbs by the tulip breaking virus created variegated patterns in the tulip flowers that were much admired and valued. While truly broken tulips do not exist anymore, the closest available specimens today are part of the group known as the Rembrandts – so named because Rembrandt painted some of the most admired breaks of his time

The lithograph was printed by hand in 1954 by K.G. Lohse of Frankfurt, made using the original 'stipple' engraving plate from the hand of Pierre Joseph Redouté. This plate is near identical to those produced with Redouté's oversight, the tones, textures, details are astonishing. This is a very, very fine plate indeed.

The lithograph is mounted in a luxury handmade, hand-finished and wonderfully gilded hammered wooden frame with a confidently proportioned decorated mount. A fine gold fillet has been added as a very sophisticated contrast for the plate. The frame is renaissance gold (the main face features thick foil incorporating real gold) and with good light this piece just glows, with a wonderful, deep and warm gold tone.

Framed dimensions: 57 tall by 48 wide by 4 deep.