Queen Of The Waves (Bathed In Moonlight XL)

Inspiration
This artwork was inspired by Gertrude Ederle, American competition swimmer, record breaker and Olympic medalist.

Earning her nickname Queen of The Waves, Ederle’s defiant spirit shattered centuries of stereotypes and opened the doors for generations of women to come when she became the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926.

Technique
Queen Of The Waves Bathed In Moonlight XL was created by constructing a hand-cut collage using female photographic portraiture, hand-embellished swimsuits, a repeated photogram of preserved sea urchin shells and an antique specimen tag from a whales vertebrae. 

After coating the handmade paper with light-sensitive chemistry, it is left to dry in a dark room. The large scale negative is then contact printed onto the paper by exposing to daylight (UV rays). The print is then processed by thoroughly washing in water to remove any unexposed solution. It can then be hung to dry, developing to full density Prussian blue after 24 hours, once dried it is hand finished with 6-carat white gold leaf and hand stitched natural pearls before framing.

Dimensions
Unframed:  700mm x 1000mm
Framed:      830mm x 1150mmx 55mm

Paper
Handmade recycled cotton rag paper: 
640gsm / 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.