Pierre Joseph Redoute

Botanist and painter who was best known for his watercolor paintings of flowers such as roses and lilies. He was given the nickname The Raphael of Flowers.

He had little formal education. He was inspired to pursue botanical illustration by the famed René Desfontaines.

He was the son of a painter, and his older brother Antoine Ferdinand worked as a set and interior designer in Paris. He left his family's home when he was just thirteen years old to make a living as a painter.

He served as the officially appointed court painter for the famous royal Marie Antoinette. Later, he held this same position under the employment of Napoleon Bonaparte's wife Josephine de Beauharnais.