Antique naturalistic reproduction of Blue Oriental Hyacinth by Pierre-Joseph Redouté

In the engraving Blue Oriental Hyacinth (Hyacinthes Orientalis) , Pierre-Joseph Redouté celebrates the magnificence of this flower through a subtle interplay of colors and shapes. The subtly shaded shades of blue give the hyacinth a striking depth and intensity, while the delicate petals seem to dance gracefully across the page. With his unparalleled talent for capturing the fleeting beauty of nature, Redouté transports us to a world of botanical splendor where every detail is magnified with exquisite precision.

In the publication dated 1827 from which the plate is taken, the detail of this illustration is given as follows:
Three plates were devoted to this beautiful flower by AL Redouté. One of them represents the variety with pink flowers; the other two give the figures of two varieties with blue flowers. The Oriental Hyacinth is native to Asia Minor. Transported more than two centuries ago to the gardens of Holland, then throughout Europe, it has provided in the long run, through the care of growers, these innumerable varieties with single flowers and double flowers, the number of which today amounts to more than two thousand. In the eyes of amateurs, a Hyacinth is all the more valuable if its flowers are large and full, while retaining the regularity as well as the pleasant and revolute shape of their divisions. It acquires an even greater value if the heart is of a different color from that of the external divisions.