Joyeux Anniversaire, M. Audubon!

My illustration of John James Audubon showing his Snowy Egret to Pierre-Joseph Redouté 
from my book REDOUTE, The Man Who Painted Flowers 
(please note, I handpainted/copied both artists' artwork. No photoshop here)

April 26, 2012, the 227th birthday of John James Audubon

Born in Haiti on his French father's sugar plantation.

Moving to France in early childhood.

Fascinated by nature, particularly birds.

After the upheaval of the French Revolution and 

the Napoleonic Wars, his father sent 18 year old

Audubon to America. Living on land his father 

owned near Philadelphia, Audubon spent his days 

hunting and fishing and drawing from nature, 

particularly birds.

When Audubon married and had children, 

he tried unsuccessfully to support them. 

So his wife, became a teacher and the 

breadwinner. 

Meanwhile Audubon decided he would like 

to draw and paint all the birds of America, 

life size and in their natural environment. 

All in one volume. Some of the life size birds 

were huge.

Audubon took his gun, paintbox and 

an assistant. Beginning an epic journey 

that would last 14 years 

Along the way, he traded drawings for goods, 

took and gave painting lessons, in order

to raise money. Freezing in the north, roasting 

in the south. Bugs, danger and disease. 

Still Audubon kept going.

John James Audubon

Nearly finished, he traveled to Europe seeking

subscribers. In those days, publishing such a book 

depended on funds raised from wealthy 

patrons desiring a copy of the finished book.

Among the important and enthusiastic supporters 

he met was Pierre-Joseph Redouté, the great Belgian 

flower painter to Marie Antoinette, Empress Josephine.

Between his exquisite paintings and colorful buckskin clothes,

Audubon made a powerful impression and won subscribers.

Joyeux anniversaire, M. Audubon!

Interested readers can find a copy of John James Audobon's

Bird's of America as well as Redoute's Les Roses and Les Lilacees

among other treasures at The Academy of Natural Sciences library

in Philadelphia.

http://www.ansp.org/research/library/

Hidden Treasure (Who Knew?)

For history and art loving people like me, 

my city of Philadelphia holds much treasure, 
some less immediately evident than others.
Latest example, the LaSalle University Art 
Museum, where yesterday a friend and I saw 
a small but delightful exhibition of Charles 
Willson Peale And His Family At Belfield.

                     Charles Willson Peale, self-portrait

When Peale, the famous portrait painter and 
curator of his own early natural history museum 
(considered the first natural history museum 
in America and once housed in Independence Hall), 
retired from that post, he moved his family 
to the country. 
The property, just east of Germantown and now 
adjacent to the campus of LaSalle University, 
he called Belfield Farm.

            A view of Belfield by Charles Willson Peale
Today, the President of LaSalle lives in Peale's 
charming old house.

                                  Peale's house at Belfield
Mr. Peale and I are "old friends". His paintings
of his family were a great help to me during my 
REDOUTÈ research. Since Peale's children were 
also artists, as was Peale's brother James, and they 
lived at approximately the same as the Redoutè 
family, details of their dress and artists' tools 

were immensely valuable.

                           The Peale family by Charles Willson Peale

The Redoutè family from REDOUTÈ,The man Who 
Painted Flowers by Carolyn Croll

Another artist of the period to whom I am 
indebted is Elisabeth Vigee LeBrun, Marie 
Antionette's portraitist. Madame LeBrun 
painted her young brother, also an artist, 
wearing the sort of costume the Redoutè 
brothers would have worn. Again including tools 
of the trade, portfolio and a drawing instrument 
that held charcoal at one end and white chalk
at the other.

                        Young artist by Elisabeth Vigee LeBrun

         Young Pierre-Joseph Redoutè 

The artist's brother by Elisabeth Vigee LeBrun

The Redoutè brothers, Pierre-Joseph and Antoine Ferdinand in Paris
Besides this special Peale exhibit, the LaSalle 

University Museum of Art houses a small but 

interesting collection of paintings and prints 

from the 15th thru 20 centuries. 

Took me long enough!
(http://www.lasalle.edu/museum/exhibitions/peale/) - link


click on images to enlarge

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/

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

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.