Erica Fulgida
Medium
Watercolor and graphite on vellum
Dimensions
Sheet: 17 3/4 × 11 3/4 in. (45.1 × 29.8 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Anne H. Bass, 2015
Accession Number
2015.604.1
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *Erica Fulgida*, a delicate 1813 watercolor and graphite drawing on vellum by Pierre-Joseph Redouté, renowned "Raphael of." This exquisite botanical study captures the vibrant Erica fulgida—a South African heath plant—with Redouté's signature precision and lifelike detail. Measuring 17 3/4 × 11 3/4 inches, it exemplifies his mastery during the Napoleonic era, he documented Empress Joséphine Bonaparte's vast Malmaison greenhouse collections. Redouté's technique stippling—applying tiny dots of watercolor—lends an almost three-dimensional quality to the petals and foliage, enhanced by the translucent vellum support, which allows light to illuminate the work like a living specimen. Graphite underdrawings provide structural accuracy, reflecting his scientific rigor alongside artistic elegance. As a leading figure in botanical illustration, Redouté bridged art and botany, influencing publications like *Les Liliacées*. Now at The Metropolitan Museum of Art through the gift of Anne H. Bass (2015), this piece invites visitors to appreciate 19th-century natural history artistry, celebrating nature's beauty amid royal patronage and scientific discovery.
About the Artist
Pierre Joseph Redouté · 1759–1840
Comment on works: Flowers