Yucca Filamentosa, from Les Liliacees

Belgian born Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759-1840) achieved success as the official court artist of Queen Marie Antoinette. In 1798 he was appointed to paint the flowers of Malmaison by Josephine Bonaparte. Redouté mastered the unusual technique of stipple engraving that made possible the subtle variations in colour for which his work is renowned. Redouté contributed over 2100 published colored plates during his life, depicting over 1800 species, many never illustrated before.