Antique botanical plate of the Anemone-flowered Camellia, Redouté

This reproduction illustrates Camellia japonica in its variety known as "anemone-flowered". The visual rendering focuses on the crimson red flowers with dense petals, contrasting with the deep green of a glossy foliage. Pierre-Joseph Redouté captures here the elegance of this shrub native to Japan, respecting the visual hierarchy proper to 19th-century naturalistic studies.

The plate is extracted from Choix des plus belles fleurs, a collection published in 1827 illustrating the diversity of the Camelliaceae family. Redouté, nicknamed the Raphael of flowers, combines here his technical mastery of engraving and his artistic intuition. Every detail, from the curvature of the leaves to the cast shadow of the petals, serves the encyclopedic ambition of the original work.

This documentary piece finds its place in a study room or a gallery of antique illustrations. It offers a precious historical overview on the cultivation of floral varieties in the 19th century and constitutes a lasting testimony to the art of French botanical illustration.