12 Free Beautiful Vintage Orchid Prints of Charles Antoine Lemaire

Step into a world of exotic vintage orchid illustrations filled with dramatic blooms, rich colours, and beautifully detailed botanical art. These public-domain orchid prints are perfect for wall art, decoupage, junk journals, collages, and nature-inspired crafts.

These beautiful vintage orchid prints and drawings are the latest botanical illustrations added to Pictureboxblue’s collection of flower prints.  This collection includes roses, peonies, hibiscus, poppies, and many more.

Orchids are considered some of the most beautiful and mysterious flowers.  They are one of the most popular houseplants.  Orchids make a lovely home-warming and mothers’ day gift.  My mum has an extensive collection of orchid plants in her conservatory, many of which were gifted to her.

The orchid prints in this collection are by the artist Charles Antoine Lemaire.  Lemaire was a French botanical artist better known for his cactus paintings.  However, towards the end of his career (1854), he edited the Belgian Journal L’Illustration Horticole, from which these beautiful orchid paintings come.

Facts about Orchids

• Orchids are the oldest and largest group of flowers.  There are more species of Orchids than birds. Over 25,000 different species of orchids have been identified so far.
• Although they are often thought of as tropical plants, Orchids are found on all continents except Antarctica
• The flowers range in size from that of a penny to giant flowers that weigh a few hundred pounds and are over 2.5m, such as the giant orchid Grammatophyllum speciosum
• Every orchid flower can be divided into two equal parts, which is known as bilateral symmetry.
• Even though they are popular houseplants, orchids are notoriously difficult to grow. It takes patience to grow an orchid. The plant’s first flowers won’t appear until at least 5 to 7 years after germination. The houseplants you find in stores are often several years old.

• Orchids do not have usual roots. They have rhizome, tuber, or aerial roots.
• Orchids survive in various habitats, on the ground (terrestrial forms), attached to woody plants (epiphytic forms), or underground.
• Certain species of orchids are parasitic. Instead of photosynthesis, they obtain food from fungi that live inside their roots.
• Certain insects can only pollinate many species of Orchids; as those insects become extinct, so do the orchids.
• Vanilla is extracted from the pod of Vanilla planifolia, which is a commercially grown orchid.

How To Download Charles Lemaire’s Orchid Paintings

All these vintage orchid prints are in the Public Domain. This means you can download and use them as you wish.

To download the orchid flower painting you want, click on the title above that orchid. A larger print of the orchid flower will open as a new tab in your browser.

If you right-click that vintage orchid print, you will see a menu option to save it to your device.

1. Oncidium barkerii – Butterfly Orchid

Oncidium orchids are commonly known as the “Dancing Ladies” and have been enjoyed for centuries. Sometimes called a butterfly orchid, but several other orchids also share this common name.

2. Autumn Flowering Orchid

This pretty pink Laelia autumnalis orchid is from the small genus Laelia, with 25 species in the Orchidaceae. These orchids are found in the subtropical areas of central and South America, mainly Mexico.

This orchid blooms from fall to winter, with 10cm fragrant flowers, hence its name.

3. Lacaena bicolor

This is one of only two orchids in the genus Lacaena. The plant is native to Central America, Colombia, and southern Mexico.

4. Miltonia moreliana Orchid

This beautiful flowering orchid is endemic to Brazil.

5. Aerides rosea Potted Orchid

This is a beautiful print of a potted Aerides rosea orchid. This flower is native to China and Southeast Asia.

6. Cattleya purpurata Orchid

Another vintage potted orchid print. Cattleya purpurata is native to Brazil, where it is very popular among orchid growers. The orchid favours bright light and cool to warm conditions and is relatively easy to cultivate.

The plant blooms from late spring to fall with three to five flowers on a spike. The flowers are long-lasting and fragrant.

7. Aerides crispa

This orchid, painted by Charles Lemaire, is native to India.

8. Vanda coerulea – Blue Orchid

The blue orchid has bluish-purple flowers that are very long-lasting compared to other orchids. The plant bears up to 20 to 30 spikes.

9. Ascocentrum curvifolium

An Asian orchid found in the Himalayas and neighbouring countries.

10. Caucaea phalaenopsis

Ecuadorian orchid, with a pleasant fragrance.

11. Dendrobium fimbriatum

This beautiful yellow orchid is native to China and Southeast Asia.

12. Prosthechea vitellina Orchid

A Charles Lemaire orchid painting of the Prosthechea vitellina. A plant native to Mexico that is also called as The Yolk-Yellow Prosthechea

There is an orchid print in the Mark Catesby flora and fauna of America collection.

You’ll find more orchid prints in Joseph Paxton’s Flower Garden.

Another famous orchidologist was John Lindley; you can find some of his orchid drawings in this collection of tropical botanical illustrations. There are also some Orchid family prints in this wildflower drawing collection. And many orchid examples in Gessner’s botany tables.

I hope you enjoyed these vintage Orchid prints by Charles Lemaire. You might also want to check out the flower paintings of another famous French botanical painter, Pierre-Joseph Redoute. Also, the collection of lily drawings, Marshal’s Florilegium and the Temple of Flora are worth checking out.

Don’t forget the other vintage flower collections on Pictureboxblue.

Edwards Botanical Register – Many orchids feature in this post.

Vinatge Magnolia Prints

Daffodil Flower Paintings

Botanical Sunflower Drawings

Vintage Tulip Paintings

Chrysanthemum Botanical Illustrations

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