The Lilies

You don't have to be a connoisseur of lilies to appreciate these beautiful specimens. In fact, the less you know about them the more this new book will fascinate you. Gathering all of the plates from Pierre-Joseph Redoute's original eight volumes (published between 1802 and 1816), Les Liliacees is not just a book about lilies -- it's also a foray into an exacting and rare art.

Redoute is widely considered to have been the one of the best botanical illustrators; he had not only a breathtaking skill at translating the natural world onto paper but also strove to improve printing technology (he introduced ""stipple-engraving"" to France). His contributions to the art of botanical illustration are unequalled; in fact, the complete set of original volumes of Les Liliacees is highly prized -- its current value is approximately $400,000. For considerably less, you can have all of Redoute's 486 lilies, beautifully reproduced on thick, creamy paper. Flipping through, you'll be transported to the magical world of 19th-century botany. A pure delight.