Tulipa Celsiana / Cels’s Tulip

By Pierre-Joseph Redouté

Submerge your room in the age-old glory of botanical artistry with this unique antiqued engraving of Tulipa Celsiana (Cels’s Tulip). This rare artwork was originally printed in Paris during the period of 1802-1816. Depicting the rarest flora species from the personal gardens of the Empress Joséphine Bonaparte through exquisite accuracy and detail, this masterpiece is a true work of art by Pierre-Joseph Redouté – the “Raphael of Flowers”.

The image of Plate No. 38 is characterized by minimalism and elegant simplicity of the Mediterranean wild tulip species. Redouté depicts the typical narrow and glaucous leaves along with the star flowers in the most accurate way possible. However, the greatest accomplishment of the engraving comes from the portrayal of the two-color tepals: the golden yellow center contrasted by reddish-bronze brushstrokes of the back petals.