THE LAST QUEEN OF FRANCE

Inspiration
This artwork was inspired by the fairytale turned tragedy of Marie Antoinette, one of France's most notorious yet fascinating monarchs.

Technique
The Last Queen Of France was created by constructing a hand-cut collage using female photographic portraiture, photographs of miniature gourmet cakes and illustrations of the moon and a wig.

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 the image is fixed it is hand finished with hand-painted, chemical and heat-treated copper leaf.

Dimensions
Unframed:  300mm diameter
Framed:      385mm diameter x 30mm frame depth x 18mm frame face

Paper
Handmade recycled cotton rag paper: 
320gsm / 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.