Choix des plus belles fleurs Facts for Kids

"Choix des plus belles fleurs" by Redoute

Choix des plus belles fleurs is a famous book filled with beautiful watercolour paintings. Its name means 'Selection of the most beautiful flowers'.

It was created by a French artist named Pierre-Joseph Redouté. He was a botanical artist, which means he specialized in drawing plants and flowers.

The full French title is quite long: Choix des plus belles fleurs et de quelques branches des plus beaux fruits. Dédié à LL. AA. RR. les princesses Louise et Marie d'Orléans (1827). In English, this means "Selection of the most beautiful flowers and some branches of the finest fruits".

This special book was printed in Paris in 1827. It was a large book, known as a folio edition, with many colourful pages. From May 1827 to June 1833, 144 unique pictures were printed. The book came out in 36 separate parts. Each part had four amazing pictures of flowers, flowering trees, or fruits.

How Were These Colour Pictures Made?
Gallery of Beautiful Flowers
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How Were These Colour Pictures Made?

Making colour pictures for books a long time ago was very different from today. In the 1700s and early 1800s, artists used a method called engraving.

Engraving on Copper Plates

This process involved carving a picture onto a copper plate. This is a type of printing called intaglio printing. To get different colours, the plate would be run through a printing press multiple times. Each time, a new colour would be added.

Hand-Colouring the Prints

Many fine art books from that time were also coloured by hand. Teams of skilled women would carefully paint each illustration. They would look at the artist's original painting as they worked. The copper engraving provided the outlines and any black lines.

Redouté's Special Printing Method

In 1796, Redouté found a clever way to combine these methods. First, an engraver would create a print from his painting. Instead of lines, they used tiny dots.

Then, before each print was made, colours were put directly onto the engraved plate. After printing, each picture was finished by hand with more colour. Redouté said he invented this method. He even won a court case to prove it!