Amanda Brighton Payne

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The magnetism of emeralds

Source object: an English 17th-century gold and white-enamelled salamander brooch, set with emeralds and diamonds. This wonderful jewel was discovered buried in London’s jewellery district of Cheapside after the Fire of London in 1666. I sketched this with the greatest attention to the emeralds, whose character fascinates me: they have depths that required indigo, one of my favourite pigments.

Water-soluble pencil sketch, summer 2018