Belle de Choisy Cherry - Botanical poster 50x70cm

Cerasus Gondouini - Belle de Choisy Cherry

Born around 1760 in the royal gardens of Choisy, this exceptional cherry owes its existence to the patient work of M. Gondouin, gardener to Kings Louis XV and Louis XVI. This methodical man sowed every seed from the fruits served at the royal table and only grafted the resulting trees after their first fruiting. From this rigorous practice, the Belle de Choisy was born, considered by its contemporaries to be the best cherry of the season.

This rare variety is distinguished by its rounded fruits, 23 to 25 millimeters in diameter, hanging from long slender stems. Its thin, shiny, and translucent skin, initially amber yellow, takes on a delicate light red hue under the sun's action, while fruits in the shade retain their golden color. The white or slightly reddish flesh under the skin contains an abundant water of remarkable sweetness. The tree, straight and slender, bears oval dark green leaves with a characteristic purplish-red petiole. The flowers, pure white when they bloom, turn pink as they fade, borne in groups of 4 to 6 on long divergent peduncles. Ripening in late June, this cherry remained unavailable in Parisian markets due to its low production, reserved for the most refined tables.

This plate is taken from Poiteau and Turpin's Traité des Arbres Fruitiers, a botanical encyclopedia published between 1807 and 1835, a major reference in 19th-century naturalistic illustration. It combines the rigor of scientific drawing with a rare artistic sensibility, characteristic of the great plates from the golden age of illustrated botany.

• Each poster is printed using 12-color giclée printing, the benchmark for art studios for rendering fine tones, subtle gradients, and the most delicate botanical details.
• 200 gsm paper, soft matte finish, 0.26 mm thickness: a result close to the original engraving, clear, glare-free, designed for hanging.
• Printed on FSC-certified paper, individually printed to order.
• Shipped in a rigid protective tube.