Pierre-Joseph Redouté’s Choix des plus belles fleurs, plate 066, published in 1827, presents the wild pansy or heartsease (Viola tricolor) as a lively botanical gathering rather than an isolated specimen. Deep violet, blue and clear yellow blossoms rise through a dense arrangement of green leaves, their irregular spacing giving the plant an easy, natural rhythm. Against the warm cream ground, each stem, serrated leaf edge and finely marked petal remains remarkably distinct.

The plate belongs to Redouté’s celebrated Choix des plus belles fleurs, a publication whose title—“Selection of the Most Beautiful Flowers”—neatly expresses its union of botanical observation and cultivated taste. Redouté was among the foremost flower painters of the early nineteenth century, admired for images that were precise enough to communicate plant structure yet sufficiently refined to be appreciated as works of decorative art. Here, the familiar garden flower is treated with the same concentration that he brought to more ceremonious subjects: variation within the plant is made as compelling as the overall bouquet.

A closer look

The composition begins with a broad base of foliage. Overlapping leaves spread across the lower portion of the plate, some dark and substantial, others turning towards softer yellow-green. Their veins are articulated with fine lines, while small droplets upon the surfaces lend an impression of freshness. The leaf margins are carefully serrated, and the subtle shifts between light and shade prevent the greenery from becoming a single undifferentiated mass.

From this foundation, the flowering stems taper upwards in an asymmetric progression. The principal blossoms occupy the centre, where velvety purple upper petals meet bright yellow lower petals, crossed by delicate darker markings. Slight shadowing beneath the flower heads gives them volume without sacrificing the clarity of their outlines. Above and around them are blooms at differing stages of development, including a small bud towards the lower right. This attention to growth—from unopened form to expanded flower—quietly broadens the plate beyond a straightforward floral portrait.

A cooler blue bloom near the upper left provides a restrained counterpoint to the stronger violet-and-yellow cluster below. It also draws the eye along the plant’s ascending line, balancing the weight of the central flowers without imposing formal symmetry. The lower-margin inscription, “Viola tricolor, Langlois”, anchors the otherwise spacious arrangement in the conventions of botanical publication.

Context and significance

Botanical illustration in Redouté’s period occupied a productive space between science and art. A successful plate needed to distinguish the plant’s characteristic forms while also organising them into a clear and persuasive composition. The generous blank ground was therefore functional as well as elegant: removed from garden or landscape, the specimen could be examined leaf by leaf and flower by flower, with no competing detail.

This plate demonstrates why Redouté’s work became so influential within that tradition. The wild pansy is recognisable not only through its celebrated three-coloured flowers, but through the coordinated study of stems, buds, foliage, petal veining and tonal variation. Nothing appears stiffly diagrammatic, yet nothing essential is lost to decorative flourish. The result is both an exacting botanical study and a poised portrait of a modest flower in all its natural variety.

Choosing the right size and finish

Artwork can feel intimate at smaller sizes and dramatically more architectural at larger ones. Use the room preview, model image and size guide to see how the proportions and scale will work in your space.

If you need an exact size, specialist framing or help planning a larger display, ask our workshop for advice.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this art print.

Where personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, or one considered visual detail. See examples of personalised artwork.

Choose Original to retain the colour and character of the source artwork, or Aged for a warmer, more antique appearance. See examples of our Aged artwork.

Every piece is produced to archival standards using fade-resistant pigment inks on acid-free matte art paper. Choose an art print, framed art print or framed canvas using the finish options above.

Framed art prints use crystal-clear optical acrylic for excellent clarity, lower weight and safer delivery than glass. Each piece arrives professionally framed and ready to hang.

Selected artworks can be produced at statement sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). Custom sizing and specialist framing are also available. If the exact option you need is not listed, contact our workshop.

This artwork is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The work is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present an art print without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas art and explore the differences between my different finishes.