Roses, pl. 4

Plate, part of a collection of 30 pochoir pattern plates, originally part of a book titled "Les fleurs et leurs applications décoratives" (Flowers and their decorative applications), created by Émile-Allain Séguy and published in Paris by A. Calavas, as part of the collection "Librairie des Arts Decoratifs" (Library of Decorative Arts) in 1902. The plate features a naturalistic illustration with a bundle of thin, undulating branches, outlined with thin, black lines, and colored with reddish-brown, white highlights and green shadows, some flanked by bloomed roses, colored with light shades of brown, and by thin branches with leaves, colored with shades of green. On the upper right part of the sheet are two branches with five leaves, outlined with shades of brown; on the lower right of the sheet are two rose buds, one of them dissected, colored with shades of green, light brown, and reddish-brown. The detailed, naturalistic depiction of this illustration reveals Séguy's unique interest in the scientific study of the creations of nature, including flowers, butterflies, and insects, as a source of inspiration for artistic creation. This illustration was likely meant to inspire designs for textiles and wallpapers.