Called “the Raphael of Flowers” and the “Rembrandt of Roses” by contemporary writers, Pierre-Joseph Redoute enjoyed a long line of Royal patronage, including Empress Josephine (1763-1814) and Queen Marie Antoinette (1755-1793). He was awarded the Order of Leopold from the country of his birth, Belgium, and was decorated with the Legion of Honor in Paris where he lived and worked. He collaborated with and was sought after by the foremost natural scientists and botanists of his time.
He was able to adapt to the turbulent political crises of his time with ease, but unable to handle his back taxes, rent, and other bills. He died suddenly at the age of 80, in 1840, while working on a very large painting of a white lily that he hoped to sell to expunge his debts.
