Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

African Iris (Moroea Iridiodes)

Pierre Joseph Redouté
1759-1840

African Iris (Moroea Iridiodes)

1802-1816
18 11/16 x 13 7/16 inches (473 x 340 mm)
Pen and brown ink and opaque watercolor, over graphite, on parchment; detail studies of the interior parts of the flower, in graphite.
1986.66

Gift of Mrs. Thomas Mellon Evans.

Notes
The rhizomatous African Iris is also known as the fortnight lily and is found throughout the African continent. This study in opaque watercolor on vellum is preparatory for Redouté's "Les Liliacées", which was issued in 80 parts between 1802 and 1816 (vol. I, Paris, 1802, plate 45). Under the patronage of Empress Josephine from 1798, Redouté worked in her gardens at Malmaison producing drawings for the eight volume series devoted to lilies that is considered one of the most beautiful books ever produced. Josephine retained the drawings and printed text, which passed to her son and his descendants until being sold at auction in 1935. The plates and text were broken up after the 1985 sale. The present drawing is accompanied by the pages of text describing the African Iris (1986.66a).
Inscriptions/Markings
Signed at lower left in pen and brown ink, "P.J. Redouté"; numbered, beneath details, in graphite, "1.2.3.4.5."
Associated names
Josephine, Empress, consort of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, 1763-1814, former owner.
Beauharnais, Eugène de, 1781-1824, former owner.
Leuchtenberg, Dukes of, former owner.
Weyhe, Erhard, former owner.
Hoepli, Ulrico, 1847-1935, former owner.
Evans, Thomas Mellon, Mrs., former owner.
Bibliography
Ryskamp, Charles, ed. Twenty-First Report to the Fellows of the Pierpont Morgan Library, 1984-1986. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1989, p. 373.
Classification
Century Drawings
School
Department