Roses Are Red...

(sometimes).

Violets are blue (OK, these are Pansies)

Pierre-Joseph Redouté

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, to you.

portrait by Francois Gerard in Musee des

Beaux Arts, Brussels

Born 250 years ago today in the Ardennes

town of St Hubert, Belgium.

Called the Rembrandt of Roses, the

Raphael of Flowers.

Today, reproductions of his work seem

to be almost everywhere. Decorating greeting cards,

items for the home, and walls in public venues.

Most know his work, but not much

about his life.

He came from a hardworking but humble

family of local artists. His father, his and his

artistic brothers' first teacher.

Eventually, he became flower painter to

Marie Antoinette then Empress Josephine

and taught the talented daughter of the

Duc de Orleans, who became Queen of Belgium.

Beginning research for my book, REDOUTÉ,

The ManWho Painted Flowers, I wrote a letter

to the Mayor of St Hubert asking if anyone

there knew about the artist and could help me.

The response, overwhelming.

The Mayor had passed my letter on to the Director of

the Museum, a Redoutè expert, collector, author

and respected town Pharmacist, M. Laurent Delcourt.

When I arrived in St Hubert, M. Delcourt

had arranged everything and everyone to help me.

Redouté's bust in St Hubert

Not only is Redouté the town hero,

his bust sits in front of the Hotel de Ville

(town hall).

There is a Redouté Museum on the Rue

Redouté across the street from where the

family's house once stood.

(Having been accidently flattened by an

American bomber aiming for German

headquarters across the rue, in WWII).

Today the former German headquarters

houses the Redouté Museum.

The town historian and my guide through

the town, the Abbey and how things were

in Redouté's time, was a descendent of

Redouté's Mother's family, Abbè Prosper

Chalon. An artist as well.

And this was just the beginning!

See my February 17, 2009 post for more pictures