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PROPERTY FROM A PRIVATE COLLECTION

ROSA RAPA

measurements note
15 1/2 by 11 in.; 39.4 by 27.9 cm.

signed lower left P. J. Redouté.

watercolor and pencil on vellum

PROVENANCE

With W. Graham Arader, New York;
By whom sold to the present collector.

NOTE

This lot and the following six lots belong to one of Redouté's most famous and admired works Les Roses (1817-24). Following the success of the monumental Les Liliacées, in which he rendered the different members of the Liliaceae family, he embarked on a new project to paint the many different species of roses in the gardens around Paris. The Empress Josephine, a lover of art, flowers and gardens, was the patron of Redouté. Commissioned by her, he had published two beautiful works illustrating plants grown in her gardens: Jardin de la Malmaison (Paris 1803-1805) with text by E.P. Ventenat, and Description des Plantes Rares cultives Malmaison et Navarre (Paris, 1812-1817) with text by A.J.A. Bonpland. Though not a direct commission, it was under Josephine's auspices that Redouté began to paint roses. When she died in 1814, the Malmaison gardens contained more than 250 varieties of roses. These roses and others from gardens around Paris, and from his contacts with different botanists, were the source for Redouté's beautiful, original drawings. These highly finished drawings were the basis from which engraved plates were made. The ensuing 170 engravings were then hand colored. The three volume book, Les Roses, with texts by the French horticulturist and botanist, Claude-Antoine Thory was published in 30 installments between 1817-1824. There was a large folio edition of only five copies, which contained a monochrome engraving and a hand colored engraving for each rose. Small folio editions were printed at the same time.

The roses can be grouped in different categories: wild roses known to the ancients, roses from medieval times (such as the eglantine rose, lot 146) and newer roses, such as the Asiatic species that were being introduced into Europe at the time.

For a rare work in oil by Redouté, see this catalogue, Part I.