{"product_id":"botanical-specimens-plate-55-by-pierre-joseph-redoute-1805","title":"Botanical Specimens (Plate 55) by Pierre Joseph Redouté, 1805","description":"\u003cp\u003ePierre-Joseph Redouté’s \u003cem\u003eLa botanique de J. J. Rousseau, Plate 55\u003c\/em\u003e, produced in 1805, arranges several distinct botanical specimens across a pale, open ground. Rather than gathering them into a conventional bouquet, Redouté gives each plant its own interval of space: small white blossoms unfold on fine green stems, a tall brown grass rises from the lower left, and a singular flower with fringed white petals and a deep burgundy centre commands the upper right. The result is both an instructive botanical plate and an exceptionally poised composition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCreated for \u003cem\u003eLa botanique de J. J. Rousseau\u003c\/em\u003e, the plate belongs to a tradition in which close study of plants was joined to the culture of illustrated books. Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s botanical writings encouraged attentive observation of plant structure, while Redouté supplied the visual precision needed to make such study immediately legible. By 1805, the French artist had become renowned for combining scientific clarity with a delicacy that never reduces a specimen to a mere diagram. His work helped establish the botanical illustration of the turn of the nineteenth century as an art of description: accurate enough to inform, yet composed with a collector’s eye for rhythm, balance and colour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eA closer look\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe upper half is organised around a striking contrast in scale and character. At the left, a branching plant rises lightly through the page, its narrow stems carrying tiny white flowers and leaves marked with fine veins. The stems divide and overlap without becoming tangled, creating a gentle tiered movement. Opposite it, the larger solitary bloom appears almost emblematic. Its pale petals are edged with minute serrations, while the concentrated burgundy at its centre provides the strongest note of colour in the plate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBelow, the specimens become more restrained. The dried grass at lower left is rendered in warm straw and light brown, each grain articulated along a slender vertical spike. Its dry, textured surface offers a telling counterpoint to the softer flowers above. At lower right, another cluster of white blossoms opens from fresh green stems, with subtle variations in the petals preventing the whites from appearing flat. These diagonal placements — flowering branch, prominent bloom, grass and low blossom cluster — draw the eye around the composition while preserving the separation necessary for botanical scrutiny.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMuch of the plate’s refinement lies in what Redouté leaves untouched. The broad off-white ground keeps the specimens distinct and allows the most slender stems to remain visible. Crisp contours are tempered by gentle tonal transitions within leaves and petals, producing a sense of volume without a landscape setting or cast shadows. The inscription “Peint par P. J. Redouté” at the lower left quietly identifies the artist while leaving the plants to dominate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eContext and significance\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRedouté is particularly associated with the moment when botanical publishing united Enlightenment habits of classification with highly cultivated visual presentation. Plants in such books were isolated from their habitats so that branching patterns, leaf forms, flowers and seed heads could be compared clearly. Yet Plate 55 demonstrates that usefulness did not require severity. Its asymmetry, carefully spaced forms and subtle exchange between green, white, burgundy and dry brown give the page a decorative cadence as considered as its descriptive detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe plate rewards two kinds of looking: the quick recognition of a graceful arrangement and the slower examination of veins, grains, petal edges and branching stems. That balance between scientific attention and compositional restraint is central to Redouté’s enduring appeal, and especially evident in this quietly varied gathering of specimens.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChoosing the right size and finish\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eArtwork can feel intimate at smaller sizes and dramatically more architectural at larger ones. Use the room preview, model image and size guide to see how the proportions and scale will work in your space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf you need an exact size, specialist framing or help planning a larger display, \u003ca href=\"\/it\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop for advice\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this art print.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, or one considered visual detail. \u003ca href=\"\/it\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee examples of personalised artwork\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eChoose Original to retain the colour and character of the source artwork, or Aged for a warmer, more antique appearance. \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/it\/pages\/sepia-aged-maps\"\u003eSee examples of our Aged artwork\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery piece is produced to archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte art paper. Choose an art print, framed art print or framed canvas using the finish options above.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFramed art prints use crystal-clear optical acrylic for excellent clarity, lower weight and safer delivery than glass. Each piece arrives professionally framed and ready to hang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSelected artworks can be produced at statement sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). Custom sizing and \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/it\/pages\/custom-framing\"\u003especialist framing\u003c\/a\u003e are also available. If the exact option you need is not listed, \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/it\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003econtact our workshop\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"8x10in (20x25cm) \/ Art print","offer_id":59958616064384,"sku":null,"price":53.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"8x10in (20x25cm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":59958616097152,"sku":null,"price":127.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"8x10in (20x25cm) \/ Framed canvas","offer_id":59958616129920,"sku":null,"price":148.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Art print","offer_id":59958616162688,"sku":null,"price":53.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":59958616195456,"sku":null,"price":127.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Framed 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