Redouti 



171 



^'September 20. This morning I had the pleasure of 

 seeing the venerable Redout^, the flower -painter /^r^^<:<?/- 

 lence. After reading Lesueur's note to him, dated five 

 years ago, he looked at me fixedly, and said, * Well, sir, I 

 am truly glad to become acquainted with you ;' and with- 

 out further ceremony he showed me his best works. His 

 flowers are grouped with peculiar taste, well drawn and 

 precise in the outlines, and colored with a pure brilliancy, 

 which resembles Nature immeasurably better than I ever 

 saw it before. Redout^ dislikes all that is not pure Na- 

 ture j he cannot bear drawings of stufled birds or 

 quadrupeds, and expressed a desire to see a work where- 

 in Nature is delineated in an animated way. He said he 

 dined every Friday at the Duke of Orleans' ; he 

 would take my work there next week, and obtain his sub- 

 scription, if not the Duchess' also. He asked for a pro- 

 spectus, and invited me to return next Wednesday. I 

 looked over hundreds of his drawings, and learned that 

 he sold them at high prices, some as high as two hun- 

 dred and fifty guineas. On my way home I met the sec- 

 retary of the king's library, who told me that the Baron de 

 la Boullerie had given orders to have my work inspected, 

 and if approved, to subscribe for it. I have found that 

 letters of introduction are not as useful here as in Eng- 

 land. Cuvier, to whom I had no letter, and to whom my 

 name was unknown before my arrival, is the only man who 

 has yet invited me to his house. I wished to go this 

 evening to his scientific soiree, to which he invited me, 

 but I did not, because I have been two successive Sat- 

 urdays, and I am afraid of intruding, although the rude 

 awkwardness I formerly felt has worn nearly smooth. 



■ ^^ September 22. This was the grand day appointed 

 by Baron Cuvier for reading his report on my work at the 

 French Institute. The French Institute ! Shall I call 

 it superior to the Royal Academy of London ? I cannot 



