Sky and sea is a celebration in blue. Two birds sketched in pencil, mid-flight. A delicate seaweed drawn not with pencil but with sunlight by laying the real plant on light-sensitive paper. And an abstract painting that brings out the depth of blue in multiple shades.

Two Birds, Hans Gude (1878–1880).

Hans Gude was one of the great teachers of Northern European painting. These light pencil lines have all the freshness of a precise quick sketch, captured by a hand experienced in plein-air painting. His works on paper are held at the Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo.

Ectocarpus siliculosus, from Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions, Anna Atkins (1843–1853).

Anna Atkins, a pioneer in photography and passionate botanical researcher, made this image in the 1840s and her book Photographs of British Algae became the first book in history illustrated with photographs. She is widely considered the first woman photographer.  Only thirteen copies of the book survive; with one copy held at the New York Public Library.

Sans titre, Otto Freundlich (1878-1943)

Part of the very first generation of abstract painters in Paris, Freundlich was an artist who believed colour could speak directly to feeling. The Musée Tavet-Delacour in Pontoise holds the most important collection of his work.

Format & Paper: Each print is produced as a museum-quality Giclée print on Hahnemühle German Etching, a warm, textured cotton paper that honours the depth and tonal richness of each work.

Size: Hans Gude — Two Birds (1878–1880) · 42 × 30 cm · Anna Atkins — Ectocarpus siliculosus (1843–1853) · 59 × 84 cm · Otto Freundlich — Sans titre · 40 × 60 cm