This
is a double-matted and framed anniversary piece that
centers on Hilaire Belloc's book entitled
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. Therefore, the husband commissioned this
piece in response to those interests, and to
parallel-represent their journey together in marriage with
that of the author’s journey for enlightenment.
Gouache and watercolor were used for the map, a ruling pen
for the couple’s names, and a Mitchell roundhand metal nib
#3 for the date (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.
