The Lilies

About this book

You dont have to be a connoisseur of lilies to appreciate these beautiful specimens. In fact the less you know about them the more this new book will fascinate you. Gathering all of the plates from Pierre-Joseph Redoutes original eight volumes (published between 1802 and 1816) Les Liliacees is not just a book about lilies -- its also a foray into an exacting and rare art. Redoute is widely considered to have been the one of the best botanical illustrators; he had not only a breathtaking skill at translating the natural world onto paper but also strove to improve printing technology (he introduced ""stipple-engraving"" to France). His contributions to the art of botanical illustration are unequalled; in fact the complete set of original volumes of Les Liliacees is highly prized -- its current value is approximately $400 000. For considerably less you can have all of Redoutes 486 lilies beautifully reproduced on thick creamy paper. Flipping through youll be transported to the magical world of 19th-century botany. A pure delight.