 Redouté's Roses 
Roses through the eyes of Pierre Joseph Redouté
Redouté is credited with perfecting the stipple technique and
applying it to rendering his flower paintings. The dynamic realism
he achieved surpassed all artists who preceded him. Redouté returned
to Paris on the eve of the French Revolution and was made Draughtsman
to the Cabinet of Marie Antoinette. He not only survived the Revolution, but attracted the patronage of
Josephine Bonaparte, in a seamless transition from the royal court to
the French Republic.
This event was paramount to Redouté's success because Josephine
had a passionate interest in flower cultivation and art. In
1798, Josephine acquired a substantial estate, Malmaison, where she
created botanical gardens of the rarest and most beautiful plants
obtainable. Roses were of particular interest to Josephine and she
intended to grow all known varieties there. Redouté's Les Roses
contains many roses from Malmaison, as well as from other significant
gardens of the time
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