2-737-462 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Pasture Rose (Rosa Carolina Corymbosa), 1817-1824. Born in Belgium, Redouté was trained by his father and then, at age thirteen, began a ten-year career as an itinerant artist. He joined his brother in Paris working on theater sets and decorations, but his true love was flower painting, which he studied with one of the masters of the art, Gerard van Spaendonck, who is also represented in this exhibition. Redouté achieved an international reputation for his botanical illustrations and enjoyed a long, successful career. At age 81 he had a stroke while examining a lily; his death ended the tradition of spectacular French flower painting .