Annual ST

By Pierre-Joseph Redouté

This stunning botanical print beautifully depicts the Annual ST / Annual Anthericum (Anthericum Annuum, traditionally known as Bulbine Annua), magnificently illustrated by the great "Raphael of Flowers," Pierre-Joseph Redouté. The plate is taken from one of the renowned grand folio collections of Redouté from the era of Enlightenment—a spectacular collection of liliaceous plants.

The unique artistic approach of the artist is brilliantly embodied in the realistic portrayal of the plant's thin stalks, fleshy linear leaves, and bunches of flower petals. Instead of using clear lines, the image has been executed in the technique of stipple engraving, which involves etching thousands of tiny dots and creating soft light and shade effects. Then, this complex process has been completed with beautiful hand-coloring according to the natural colors of the specimen.

As a court artist of Marie Antoinette and Joséphine, Redouté united scientific accuracy with extraordinary elegance of romanticism.