Witsenia Corymbosa

By Pierre-Joseph Redouté

Capture the exquisite charm of the great French court painter Pierre-Joseph Redouté in this wonderfully restored botanical art featuring Witsenia Corymbosa, which was formerly referred to as Nivenia Corymbosa or Wooded Iris. Renowned as the greatest botanical illustrator who ever lived, Redouté illustrated this stunning plant under the direct sponsorship of Empress Joséphine Bonaparte for her famed garden of Chateau de Malmaison.

This botanical art originally appeared in Redouté’s most important publication entitled “Les Liliacees” published between 1802-1816. This art perfectly illustrates the deep-blue flower blossoms against green foliage shaped like swords. Redouté pioneered a method called stipple engraving, which uses millions of ink dots instead of harsh lines to achieve unmatched softness of colors and textures.