The Flowers Personified by J.J. Grandville

J.J. Grandville was a French caricaturist known for his satirical illustrations. He often featured parahuman and anthropomorphic characters to emphasize his political commentary and satire.

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Published posthumously in 1847, Les Fleurs Animées (The Flowers Personified) is both a satirical and poetic collection of botanical illustrations. Considered by many to be a masterpiece, the original book featured 54 etched and hand-colored illustrations depicting the enchanting world of floral maidens. While the Victorian societal references may not mean that much to us now, the amazing color and character detail have definitely retained their magic after all these years.

These particular illustrations are from an 1867 edition of the book and are available in the public domain.

If you're interested in browsing all 54 illustrations and perhaps beefing up your French, both Volume 1 and Volume 2 of the 1867 edition are available to view and/or download at the Internet Archive. Scans of the original etched illustrations can be viewed online at the New York Public Library website. Cheers!