A Signed Giclēe print of a Fiji Merman.
I am fascinated by the intriguing ‘specimens’ of Mermaids and Merman found in museums and personal collections worldwide. Having met some personally, and hearing their story, I was inspired to render them in pencil.
These merfolk were first created in Japan to be displayed within Shinto shrines. In the 19th century, they began being sold as natural curiosities. These were traded internationally with 'feejee mermaids' being bought by showmen such as P.T Barnum to display in their circus sideshows.
They later made their way into museum collections such as the Science Museum and Horniman Museum where they have continued to amuse and entice curiosity!
Once they had been debunked as natural curiosities, they were believed to have been made by sewing the head of a monkey onto the tail of a fish, coining the term, “Monkeyfish!”
More recently, this too was found to be false. Scans revealed all manner of craft techniques employed in creating them, ending another era of their delicious deceit!
This is an archival quality Giclēe print on Hahnemuhle Cotton Rag. The original artwork was drawn in pencil by Laura Cronin aka Bumble & Earwig.
A Signed Giclēe print of a Fiji Merman.
I am fascinated by the intriguing ‘specimens’ of Mermaids and Merman found in museums and personal collections worldwide. Having met some personally, and hearing their story, I was inspired to render them in pencil.
These merfolk were first created in Japan to be displayed within Shinto shrines. In the 19th century, they began being sold as natural curiosities. These were traded internationally with 'feejee mermaids' being bought by showmen such as P.T Barnum to display in their circus sideshows.
They later made their way into museum collections such as the Science Museum and Horniman Museum where they have continued to amuse and entice curiosity!
Once they had been debunked as natural curiosities, they were believed to have been made by sewing the head of a monkey onto the tail of a fish, coining the term, “Monkeyfish!”
More recently, this too was found to be false. Scans revealed all manner of craft techniques employed in creating them, ending another era of their delicious deceit!
This is an archival quality Giclēe print on Hahnemuhle Cotton Rag. The original artwork was drawn in pencil by Laura Cronin aka Bumble & Earwig.
