Adonis Blue
Limited Edition
Signed and numbered giclée print.
Each butterfly print comes with a certificate of authenticity.
Each size limited to 100 pieces, and is printed
on archival Hahnemühle German Etching paper.
Frames are custom made in Britain using English Oak,
African Obeche and specialist Rohm glass.
Description
Adonis Blue
Latin Name: Polyommatus bellargus / Lysandra bellargus
Distribution: Western Europe, Central Europe, South Europe, South Russia, Iraq, Iran, Caucasus, Transcaucasus, and Turkey
Wingspan: 38 millimeters
The Adonis Blue is a stunning butterfly that looks like the European cousin to the striking blue morpho. First identified in 1775, this species was given its name by von Rottemburg in his opus, Der Naturforscher. While the butterfly is relatively common worldwide, it is sadly declining in the UK thanks to loss of habitat. Since 1950 there has been a decline of over 90% across the whole of Britain, and the species has been lost entirely from Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and the Chilterns. Today, it’s most commonly found in Dorset, Wiltshire, Sussex and the Isle of Wight.
Males have vibrantly blue wings that a rimmed by a fine black and white edging, while females are a rich chocolate brown colour. The Adonis Blue is usually found in warm sheltered areas, living near young, unshaded Horseshoe Vetch on south facing slopes. The adult butterflies are most easily found in June and September, flying low over countryside vegetation in search of mates. Newborn Adonis Blue overwinters as a caterpillar, and it won’t be reborn as a vibrant butterfly until July-August. The butterfly chrysalis is actually buried by ants in earth chambers connected to the ant nest and, once born, these ants will serve as attendants and protectors for the newly fledged butterfly for the next three weeks.
“…a very light and glittering sky-blue: the female dark brown, with a red submarginal band…”
– von Rottemburg, Der Naturforscher
The Artwork & Limited Edition
The original Adonis Blue Butterfly artwork was painted in watercolour in 2020, and is the same size as the limited edition midi print.
Limited Edition Print Size:
• Mini: 15 x 15cm, limited to 100 pieces
• Medium: 23 x 23cm, limited to 100 pieces
Every print is signed by the artist and comes with a certificate of authenticity. The certificate is signed, numbered, and comes in a fitted glassine envelope. A custom debossed seal is featured on the back.
The Frames
All frames are custom made in England.
The Wood
Frames are available in two wood varieties: English oak and dark African Obeche.
Oak is a pale cream wood characterised by its strength, durability and characterful grain. It was seen as the monarch of the forest by ancient Indo-Europeans, and our word for ‘tree’ actually derives from their word for ‘oak’ (*deru-).
Obeche is also known as the the African Maple tree. It’s a hardwood species that’s native to several west-central African countries, and its natural heartwood is a pale yellow colour that darkens with age. This wood has been dyed to mimic ebony woods, which are beautiful but endangered due to over-timbering. Dyed Obeche wood mimics wenge wood with its warm dark colouring, straight timber and durability – all without the ecological concerns.
The Glass
Glass is fragile, prone to breaking during shipping and, most importantly, it doesn’t offer the best protection for your prints in the long run.
Light breaks down paper over time, weakening and discolouring paper fibres. The pigments found in ink will also fade with too much exposure. That’s why most art museums filter UV from light sources using a variety of window-coverings and coatings, specialised art frames and reduce light exposure by limiting the number of hours a painting is on display.
There is one simple and effective way to protect your artwork at home; and that’s by using UV protective glass. These frames are made using specialist Rohm plexiglass, which is the highest grade of glass on the market today. This material should not be confused with cheap styrene or acrylic sheets used in department store frames – it’s highly transparent, beautifully bright, break-proof and offers seven times more UV protection than glass.
