To show off the full range of their reproductive skills, many printers created fabulously detailed decorative panels as gifts for their important and potential clients. Many were printed just on paper, while a few, like this one, were done on silk, making them fine collector’s items and beautiful decorations for the home. Here, a porcelain-skinned Pre-Raphaelite lady gently strokes a baby bird sitting inside its nest. The weight of her velvet green gown tumbles in heavy folds down to her feet, spilling over the border. It’s a rich, highly textured design.
Imp. F. Champenois, Paris (not shown)
literature: Imprimerie, 52 (var); LXXXVI,150