Bengal Tea Rose with Butterflies. Bengale Thé hyménée.

$40.00

Beautiful print of white Rose with 2 Butterflies.

Reproduction from a stipple engraving by Victor after the painting by Belgian artist, Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759-1840) for Les Roses, originally published in Paris between 1817 and 1824. Redoute roses are the best-known illustrations of this beautiful flower. 

Having moved to Paris, Redouté's passion for painting flowers took him to the Jardin du Roi where he met the botanist Gerard van Spaendonck and became his assistant. He was next employed by wealthy amateur botanist Charles-Louis L'Heritier de Brutelle, who employed Redouté as an illustrator and instructed him in plant anatomy, which greatly assisted with his botanical illustrations. Redouté pioneered the intricate process of colour-printed stipple engraving, finished by hand.

Redouté had as pupils or patrons, five queens and empresses of France, from Marie-Antoinette to Empress Josephine and her successor Marie-Louise. Redouté painted exquisite watercolours on vellum for Napoleon and Josephine, to record the plants and flowers in her lavish gardens at Malmaison.

Print size is 34 x 26cm (13.3/8 x 10.1/4 inches).