LADY LEPIDOPTERIST STUDY IN 3-D

Inspiration
This artwork was inspired by Victorian lepidopterist Margaret Fountaine. Described as a natural-born hunter: whether it was love, adventure or butterflies, her pursuit was relentless and her energy legendary. She emerged from an unremarkable Victorian upbringing with an extraordinary drive to self determination which defined her entire life. 

Unconventional by nature, Fountaine was never cowed by society’s strictures, or by what was expected, this provided her with many exciting opportunities. The price of her freedom was high but she never regretted her choices. A passionate lover and fearless individualist, her life was founded on the idiosyncratic determination to pursue her own path irrespective of convention.

Technique
Lady Lepidopterist Study In 3D was created by constructing a hand-cut collage using female photographic portraiture, a wig made of hydrangea flowers and photographs of preserved butterfly specimens.

After coating the handmade paper with light-sensitive chemistry, they are left to dry in a dark room. The large scale negatives are then contact printed onto the paper pieces by exposing to daylight (UV rays). The prints are then processed by thoroughly washing in water to remove any unexposed solution. They can then be hung to dry, developing to full density Prussian blue after 24 hours. Once dried the individual butterflies are cut out and mounted onto the print to create a multi-layered, 3-dimensional artwork.

Dimensions
Unframed:  148mm diameter
Framed:      210mm diameter x 30mm frame depth

Paper
Handmade recycled cotton rag paper: 
150gsm / 100% Cotton Rag / Recycled / Acid Free / PH Neutral / Medium Rough

Mount
We use float mounting for all of our framed cyanotypes. The artwork floats above a snow-white mount board, showcasing the paper texture and deckled edging.

Framing
Framed artwork will arrive ready to hang.

Each frame is handmade by our London based design team. They prime and sand the wooden frame before spraying black or white soft-sheen paint to achieve the highest quality finish. All frames come with gallery spec, 3mm thick anti-reflective/ UV glazing as standard. 

If you would like a bespoke frame, please get in touch to discuss alternative colours, gilding and glazing options.