This is one of a small grouping of RARE antique 1903 French botanicals that we recently purchased. It showcases one of the most favorite flowers known, the popular GLADIOLA. (First time we have this image in all our years of collecting.) This is a chromolithograph from a French Beaux-Arts portfolio of 4 volumes of "Encyclopedie de la Plante", an “artistique” and “documentaire” collection of botanical plates. This image has wonderful rich textured colors of pink and green tones. There is a beautiful depth of detail and quality in both the blossoms and the leaves. Note the rich lushness in the flower petals. The flowers are set against a neutral tone ethereal background which adds beauty and interest to the piece. The image is signed by the artist in the bottom right corner. The techonology of chromolithography was a time consuming process developed in the 1860s. It ultilized the use of multiple stones, one for each color. It was an expensive technique that required skilled craftsmen. This process of successive layering of colors and tones resulted in a beauty much like handpainted oil paintings. It was targeted primarily to the art-oriented audiences of the time. Today, chromolithpgraphs are considered "fine art". The expensive process was replaced by cheaper offset printing in the late 1930s. This botanical is clean and pristine! No indication of age markings. It measures 11.5 x 15 inches. Clean borders. Please see companion botanicals from this series in our shop.