"Still life of Flower Bouquet on Alabaster" 
circa 1820's
Gouache on alabaster
6 1/2 x 4 1/2 (12 3/4 x 10 3/4 frame) inches
 
Follower of Pierre Joseph Redouté 1759-1840, the artist brought all the finesse and care required for this work to seduce us and hold our attention at first glance, delicately painted in gouache on an alabaster plate, he added here and there a drop of water which adds freshness to the whole while showing us his virtuosity. A white rose, a parrot tulip and a few forget-me-nots to enhance the composition and the harmonious bouquet bursts with gaiety against a background of luminous alabaster. 
 
Unsigned, this gouache dates from the years 1820 - 1830, it is enhanced by a channel frame which has retained its original gilding.
 
Redouté was an official court artist of Marie Antoinette, and continued painting through the French Revolution and Reign of Terror. He survived the turbulent political upheaval to gain international recognition for his precise renderings of plants, which remain as fresh in the early 21st century as when first painted. He combined great artistic skills with a pleasing, ingratiating personality which assisted him with his influential patrons. After Queen Marie-Antoinette, his patrons included both of Napoleon's wives -- Empress Joséphine and Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma—as well as Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily wife of Louis Philippe I, the last king of France