Artwork Page for The Queen of the Fishes: Plate 2

Details / Information for The Queen of the Fishes: Plate 2

The Queen of the Fishes: Plate 2

1894
(British, 1863–1944)
Measurements
Book page: 19.2 x 13.3 cm (7 9/16 x 5 1/4 in.)
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view

Description

Pissarro, son of the French Impressionist artist Camille Pissarro, moved to England in 1890. By 1894 he and his wife, Esther Bensusan Pissarro, had bought a printing press and established the Eragny Press. Influenced by William Morris, they were involved in every step of the production process: designing, cutting the woodblocks, setting type, and printing. The first book published by Ergany Press, The Queen of the Fishes, is based on an old fairy tale in which a peasant boy and girl escape the hardships of their lives by fantasizing that they have been turned into a giant oak and a splendid fish, respectively.
A vertically oriented woodcut print on off-white paper depicts a scene framed by hand-drawn text. To the upper left, the title is printed in red. A central gray illustration shows a person with light skin lying prone, wearing a leaf-trimmed hat and reaching toward flowers while looking down. Dense gray script wraps around the image, culminating with the stylized phrase "QUEEN of the FISHES!" near the bottom of the composition.

The Queen of the Fishes: Plate 2

1894

Lucien Pissarro

(British, 1863–1944)
England, 19th century

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