This
is a double-matted and framed anniversary piece that
centers on Hilaire Belloc's book, “The Path to Rome,” which
describes the author’s personal pilgrimage from France to
Rome, the “Eternal City.”
The anniversary couple has a keen interest in both history
and literature. Each anniversary, the husband traditionally
commissions a different calligrapher to render a piece that
responds to these interests. This particular piece
parallel-represents their journey together in marriage with
that of Belloc’s journey for enlightenment.
Gouache and watercolor were used for the map and compass
rose, a ruling pen for the couple’s names, and a Mitchell
roundhand metal nib #3 for the date and quotation (lettered
in the Rustica hand). Salt crystals were sprinkled into the
slightly wet watercolor and allowed to absorb the pigment,
drying to create the textures found in the water and
terrain. Though the photos do not readily show this
following detail, the mountain ranges of both the Alps and
the Apennines were emphasized further by hand-embossing the
paper to provide a 3-dimensional quality. The double mats
were die-cut to accommodate both the compass rose and the
couple’s names and date.
