{"product_id":"banana-musa-paradisiaca-plate-23-by-pierre-joseph-redoute-1805","title":"Banana (Musa paradisiaca, Plate 23) by Pierre Joseph Redouté, 1805","description":"\u003cp\u003ePierre-Joseph Redouté’s \u003cem\u003eLes Liliacées, Pl. 23\u003c\/em\u003e, dating from 1805 and published within the wider work of 1805–1816, presents \u003cem\u003eMusa paradisiaca\u003c\/em\u003e as a pendant cluster of bananas suspended against a warm, creamy ground. Rather than showing the entire plant, Redouté concentrates on the fruit and its substantial supporting stem. Ripening yellows, fresh greens and earthy brown-green shadows are arranged in a gently descending composition, giving the botanical specimen both scientific clarity and an unusually sculptural presence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe plate belongs to one of the most celebrated botanical publications of the early nineteenth century. Redouté was admired for reconciling close observation with refined visual elegance, earning the often-repeated epithet “the Raphael of flowers”. At a time when illustrated botanical books served scientific study as well as a growing public fascination with cultivated and ornamental plants, his work made individual specimens legible without reducing them to diagrams. Here, the banana cluster is at once a record of structure and ripening, and a carefully balanced study of colour, volume and repetition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eA closer look\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe bunch occupies the upper centre and right of the plate, its asymmetry enlivening an otherwise spacious arrangement. Individual bananas project at slightly different angles, so that their curved forms overlap and recede rather than settling into a flat pattern. Those nearest the top have warm yellow skins touched by green, while smaller fruit towards the lower right remains cooler in colour. This gradual movement from green to yellow quietly records different stages of maturity within a single botanical grouping.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRedouté models each fruit through restrained tonal shifts. Pale highlights follow the outward curves, while narrow shadows gather beneath the bananas and around their points of attachment. Fine lines describe the subtle ridges of the skins; at the tips and joints, minute wrinkles and short stems interrupt the smoother surfaces. These small changes prevent the repeated forms from becoming monotonous, allowing each banana to retain a distinct orientation and weight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBelow the fruit, the thick central stalk forms the structural spine of the composition. Pronounced vertical striations give it a fibrous texture that contrasts with the taut, polished appearance of the skins above. The surrounding emptiness is equally important: with no landscape, foliage or decorative setting, the eye can follow the plant’s contours uninterrupted. At the lower centre, the identifying text “\u003cem\u003eMusa paradisiaca\u003c\/em\u003e” and “Bananiers Culture” appears in delicate script, its lightness preserving the spacious character of the plate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eContext and significance\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBotanical illustration in Redouté’s period occupied a productive territory between art and natural history. Accurate depictions helped readers compare plant structures, while finely produced flower books also answered an appetite for images of species encountered through horticulture, cultivation and expanding botanical knowledge. The plain ground, isolated specimen and Latin designation all belong to this culture of systematic looking: the plant is removed from its habitat so that its identifying forms can be studied with exceptional concentration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis plate is especially engaging because its subject differs from the single flowering stems often associated with Redouté. The mass of closely packed fruit calls for a denser, more volumetric composition, yet his characteristic delicacy remains evident in every gradation and contour. The result turns a familiar cultivated plant into an object of sustained attention, revealing the rhythmic geometry of the cluster and the intricate junctions between fruit and stem.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eChoosing the right size and finish\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eArtwork 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIf you need an exact size, specialist framing or help planning a larger display, \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eask our workshop for advice\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 24x36in (60x90cm) version of this art print.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhere personalisation is available, you can add a short title or dedication, or one considered visual detail. \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/map-personalisation\"\u003eSee examples of personalised artwork\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eChoose Original to retain the colour and character of the source artwork, or Aged for a warmer, more antique appearance. \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/pages\/sepia-aged-maps\"\u003eSee examples of our Aged artwork\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFramed 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSelected artworks can be produced at statement sizes up to 3 metres (10ft). Custom sizing and \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/pages\/custom-framing\"\u003especialist framing\u003c\/a\u003e are also available. If the exact option you need is not listed, \u003ca target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003econtact our workshop\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Art print","offer_id":59962164838784,"sku":null,"price":26.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":59962164871552,"sku":null,"price":64.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A4 (210x297mm) \/ Framed canvas","offer_id":59962164904320,"sku":null,"price":74.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x18in (30x45cm) \/ Art print","offer_id":59962164937088,"sku":null,"price":41.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x18in (30x45cm) \/ Framed art print","offer_id":59962164969856,"sku":null,"price":112.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x18in (30x45cm) \/ Framed 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