Amazon.com description: Product Description: A magnificent collection the great plant illustrator, Pierre-Joseph Redouté (1759-1840) best known for his exquisite engravings, reproductions of which are found in millions of homes all over the world. A descriptive text by botanical scholar William T. Stearn and Martyn Rix accompanies each illustration, tracing the origin and history of the plant and discussing its horticulture today. William Stearn's fascinating introduction to the life and work of Redouté, as well as Redouté's own preface to the original edition, creates a context for this enduring pleasure.