Pierre-Joseph Redoute, Magnolia Soulangiana - 1827
32 x 25cm
From the publication 'Choix des Plus Belle Fleurs' or 'A Selection of Beautiful Flowers' published in 1827.
The Empress Josephine and Redoute had a very close working relationship from the early days of the Consulate and
one of his first commissions was a series of floral watercolours on vellum to decorate Joséphine’s bedroom. Pierre-
Joseph’s brother, Antoine-Ferdinand, was also called upon to use his set-designing arts to decorate the room’s
interior. During the years that followed, Redouté rose to Joséphine’s challenge to illustrate the plants at Malmaison,
producing several volumes filled with studies from her extensive herbarium. The first, a large format collection of
120 plates, published under the title Jardin de Malmaison (1803-1805) was followed by Les Lilacees (1802-1816);
Redouté’s most comprehensive work on the lilac flower, complete with 486 colour plates.
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