Redouté revitalized

Pierre-Joseph Redouté, a renowned Belgian-born artist, is celebrated for his exquisite botanical illustrations. His meticulous attention to detail and vibrant colors have earned him the title “the Raphael of Flowers.” Redouté’s most famous works include Les Liliacées and Les Roses, which showcase his mastery of watercolor and stippling techniques to capture the beauty of these two iconic plant families.

In Les Roses, (1817–1824) Redouté presents a stunning collection of 169 rose illustrations, each one a testament to his artistic skill. His paintings not only depict the physical characteristics of the roses but also convey their delicate beauty and fragrance. Redouté’s ability to capture the subtle nuances of color and texture is evident in every petal and thorn. Similarly, Les Liliacées (1802–1816) showcases 475 diverse and elegant members of the lily family across 486 plates. From the stately lilies to the graceful tulips, each illustration is a masterpiece of botanical art.

655 illustrations were restored from scans of these two of Redouté’s most well known collections. Original high resolution scans are available at the Internet Archive from the Biodiversity Heritage Library and the Library of Congress at the links below.

Original French descriptions of each flower were transcribed from original scans rather than using an automated translation service to translate them to another language to preserve the author’s original voice in the time it was written. An option to generate an automated translation is below each description.