Wild About Charlie

Charlie Williams and his wife Lydia are public library 

Librarians from North Carolina, now retired. 

When Charlie discovered my picture book, REDOUTÈ, 

The Man Who Painted Flowers, at an exhibition of work 

by another botanical artist, Mark Catesby, he wrote to 

me suggesting Catesby as subject for a future book. 

He also mentioned his interest in Andre Michaux, one 

of Redoutè's outstanding Botanist collaborators. 

Andre Michaux

We finally met when Charlie's Michaux research 
brought him to Philadelphia and the American 
Philosophical Society. I shared a paper mentioning 
Michaux, that I had acquired from its scholar 
author during my Redoutè search. Turned out, it
contained information Charlie needed.


When Charlie returned to Phila. with his wife, 
Lydia, we enjoyed a visit to Bartram's Gardens,
18th century home of the fascinating John and 
William Bartram, America's first Botanists. 

Charlie Williams as himself

Back home in North Carolina in conjunction 
with Stowe Botanical Garden, Charlie began 
talking to school children about Michaux and 
his work in America, particularly North Carolina. 
To further children's interest he began dressing 
in 18th century costume. As he refined the costume 
to look more like an 18th century Botanist 
working out in nature, Charlie soon "morphed"
into Andre Michaux telling his own story.

Yesterday's holiday card written by Lydia, contained 
the news that Charlie Williams is the 2009 recipient 
of the Elizabeth Ann Bartholomew Award of The 
Southern Appalachian Botanical Society for distinguished 
professional and public service in advancing knowledge 
and appreciation of the world of plants. The first non 
professional Botanist to win this award. , Lydia writes 
that, typically, Charlie was flabbergasted.

Lydia also sent this photo of Michaux's Lily which 
unexpectedly bloomed on their mountain property.  
They don't know if it bloomed because conditions
were just right or Michaux's spirit was hovering over them.
No doubt in my mind.




(Read Charlie's biography of Andre Michaux)
http://www.michaux.org/michaux.htm
Stowe Botanical Garden
http://www.dsbg.org/ 
American Philosphical Society
http://www.amphilsoc.org/
Bartram Gardens
http://www.bartramsgarden.org/?page_id=657/

Happy Birthday, Josephine

June 23, birthday of Josephine de Beauharnais.

Born in Martinique in 1763. First wife of Napoleon

Bonaparte. Empress of France. Famous for

the flowers, especially roses, she grew at Malmaison,

her home near Paris and her collaboration with the

famous botanical artist, Pierre-Joseph Redouté.

Redouté had survived the French Revolution, despite

having painted flowers for Marie Antoinette who

considered him a servant.

To Josephine, Redouté was a special friend.

For the Empress, Redouté produced his exquisite

books of her flowers; Les Lilacees (The Lilies)

and Les Roses.

Before starting my illustrations for REDOUTÉ,

The Man Who Painted Flowers, I traveled

to Belgium, France and England to see

for myself the places Redouté knew. To

illustrate this true story, I had to know what

places, people and things from that time looked

like.

Not many roses in October, but I could imagine

Josephine's rose garden, where she and Redouté

collaborated, is still at Malmaison.

Flowers, particularly roses decorate Josephine's

carpets, chairs and porcelain dishes as well.

She wore flowers in her hair, on her costume or

a bouquet was near by in every portrait.

Flowers were her passion.

Josephine corresponded and exchanged specimens

with the great botanical figures of her day, including

John Bartram of Philadelphia, considered the father

of American Botany.

available at www.amazon.com

Redouté did this one!

Just One More..........

I really thought I'd come to the last of the P-J Redoute portraits, when this popped up. Haven't yet identified who painted it but this one is from Redoute's home town of St. Hubert, Belgium.

It is hung in the Centre Redoute across the Rue Redoute from a small empty lot where Redoute's childhood home stood until 1944. During the Battle of the Bulge, Americans fired on the German headquarters. Missed by about 200 yards leveling the Redoute house.

Redoute's childhood home

drawn by Abbe P. Chalon

Feeling I ought to apologize, I was assured

with great bonhomie that we had been forgiven long before.

The Centre Redoute is now housed in

the old German Headquarters across the street.

One of the best "portraits" of Redoute I found was in the person of the town historian, Abbe Prosper Chalon. Abbe Chalon, my guide, a Roman Catholic priest, art historian, artist and a descendent of Redoute's mother's family.

. Remarkable resemblance.

See What I Mean? (see Jan 25, 2009 post)

Portrait of many (but not all) of Napoleon Bonaparte's

artists, painted by and including Louis-Leopold Boilly

as well as Redoute, Gerard and Isabey.

I rest my case.

Sherlock, Nancy, Dick And Me

When I began my illustrations for REDOUTE, The Man Who Painted Flowers, there was no Google. Only encyclopedias, libraries and museums. (It wasn't that long ago, but writing this suddenly reminds me of horses and buggies - ;-)

First of all I needed to know what Pierre- Joseph Redoute looked like.

As Empress Josephine's flower painter, Redoute was one of a gathering of distinguished painters serving Napoleon's court including Jacques Louis David, Francois Gerard, Jean Baptiste Isabey, Louis-Leopold Boilly, Theodore Gericault among others.

It dawned on me that even though Napoleon kept them all pretty busy with imperial portraits and heroic battle scenes there had to be a little down time once in a while.

And what distinguished painters might do during slow days is paint each other!

I spread the word to friends and colleagues. Somewhere, in a museum or catalogue was a portrait of Redoute, by one of Napoleon's portraitists, David, Gerard, Boilly, Prud'hon, Isabey.......

Almost instantly, an English friend working in Belgium reported a small portrait, possibly by David, in the Musee des Beaux Artes in Brussels. Thrilling! (Though it turned out to be by Francois Gerard).

Next one, by Louis-Leopold Boilly, showed up in a book on Napoleon.

Recently I discovered the one on the left, attributed this time to Eugene Isabey, on the web at the W. Graham Arader Gallery www.aradergalleries.com

Especially charming, as it appears Redoute is thumbing through his book of Lilies.

S. Holmes, N. Drew, D. Tracy and me.