Native to the Balkan Penninsula where it grows on rocky hills, the lilac (Syringa vulgaris) has been cultivated and naturalized in Europe, as well as much of North America. It is not regarded as an aggressive species, found in the wild in widely scattered sites, usually in the vicinity of past or present human habitations.

The inspiration for this bookmark was the artwork by Gerard van Spaendonck. He was a Dutch artist who moved to Paris in 1769, and five years later was appointed miniature painter in the court of Louis XVI. By 1780, he became a professor of floral painting at the Jardin des Plantes, and shortly afterward was elected as a member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts. Among his pupils were Pierre-Joseph Redouté and Henriette Vincent.

In 1788 he was appointed adviser to the Académie, and in 1795 became a founding member of the Institut de France. In 1804 he received the Légion d'honneur and soon afterward was ennobled by Napoleon Bonaparte.

BKS9821
Finish: Solid brass, electro-plated with non-tarnishing silver finish, giclee print
Dimensions: Approx. 1.5" W x 3" L  (Packaged in Recycled PET Plastic Sleeve with Provenance Card)