REDOUTÉ PIERRE-JOSEPH: (1759-1840)

REDOUTÉ PIERRE-JOSEPH: (1759-1840) Belgian Painter and Botanist, nicknamed the « Raphael of Flowers ». Redouté is best known for his watercolours of flowers at the Château de Malmaison and for his reputed botanical illustrations. A fine A.L.S., `Redouté´, two pages, 4to, n.p., 9th February 1810, to Monsieur Dubois, Painter, in French. Redouté defends his nephew´s position as painter at the Royal court, although recognizing his limited talent, and refers to Empress Joséphine trying to support his request, stating in a very eloquent way `D´après la volonté de Sa M[ajesté] l´Impératrice et de son intendant général, que mon neveux continuasse les travaux dans tout ce qui lui appartient j´ai cru que vous ne refuseriez point à les faire… il est bien naturel qu´étant attaché depuis si longtemps comme peintre de Sa M[ajesté] je désirasse procurer quelque avantage à mon neveux, qui n´ayant point un talent assez ascendant pour le procurer une existence avec sa famille…´ (`According to the will of Her M[ajesty] the Empress and his General Intendant, that my nephew continue the work in all that belongs to him, I believed that you would not refuse to do so... it is quite natural that being attached for so long as a painter to his M[ajesty] I wanted to procure some advantage for my nephew, who does not have a talent sufficiently ascendant to procure him wealth for his family…´) With address leaf, postmarked, bearing a black wax seal. Overall creasing and small area of paper loss to the address leaf. G Redouté was a court artist of Queen Marie Antoinette, and continued painting through the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror. After Marie Antoinette, his patrons included both Napoleon´s wives, Joséphine and Marie Louise. Redouté is still today internationally regarded as the greatest botanical illustrator of all time for his most precise renderings of plants.