Furcraea Gigantea & Fourcroye Gigantesque- By Pierre Joseph Redoute

• Artist: Pierre Joseph Redout
• Medium: Stipple engraving- By Langlois
• Publish Details: Paris: 1802-1816, from Les Liliacees, original hand coloring. 
• Measurements: 21 1/4 x 14 in. (sheet), 25 x 17 7/8 in. (mat)
• Conditions: Very good condition, very minor foxing

Produced under the patronage of Josephine Bonaparte, Empress of France, Pierre-Joseph Redouté’s Les Liliacées contained 503 plates documenting plant species belonging to, or closely related to, the lily family. Published between 1802 and 1816, the plates were based largely on specimens from Empress Josephine’s extensive botanical collection at the gardens of Malmaison, where Redouté worked as a botanical artist.

Widely regarded as Redouté’s masterpiece, Les Liliacées is celebrated for the extraordinary scope, breadth, and botanical accuracy of its illustrations, as well as for the exceptional beauty of Redouté’s work.