Josephine’s Herbarium – Catherine de Bourgoing

FRENCH LANGUAGE Known for her sulphurous reputation, Empress Josephine Bonaparte has kept, from her childhood in Martinique, a taste for lush vegetation and exotic plants. This passion for plants, sheltered by the park of Malmaison, has grown to become an object of pride and ambition. Through this imaginary herbarium illustrated with Redouté’s plates, Catherine de Bourgoing takes us on a journey back to the time of epic expeditions, when the search for rare plants was like a real treasure hunt. She also unveils a facet of the Empress’ personality, hitherto little known: a woman of knowledge, she was able to give an innovative impetus to botanical science, which revolutionized the art of gardens and horticulture. French language 256 pages Flammarion Publishing