Description
“To be human is to grow old.”
— Sappho
This hand-pulled letterpress print is printed from hand-lettered original typography and hand-drawn illustrations and patterns (in fact, everything was done by hand, the hard way!). This piece is a collaboration between Chandler O’Leary of Anagram Press and Jessica Spring of Springtide Press, created in hope of raising the self-esteem of girls and women everywhere.
Please note that our remaining inventory of this print (11) consists entirely of APs or “Artist Proofs.” We determine our edition number before printing, but we always print a few more broadsides than we think we’ll need for the edition, in case of mishaps during the process. When the edition is finished, any extra prints that survive outside of the edition are signed and labeled with “AP” in place of a number. Because we wait to sell the APs until the rest of the edition is sold out, and because APs are otherwise identical in quality to the numbered prints, they are priced the same as our numbered prints.
We created this piece amid a barrage of media and cultural images that urge women to criticize their own appearance. Unsurprisingly, we are taught to find ourselves lacking in one way or many, and to compare ourselves with an impossible ideal. Amid the impossible ideals and immortal tales of the ancient Greeks, one honey-tongued lyrical poet spoke the plain truth.
Like the art of ancient Greece, Age Before Beauty is chock full of allegorical imagery. Young Sappho carries Aphrodite’s mirror, while Athena’s wise owl looks over her aged self. Both figures play a seven-stringed lyre: Sappho was a lyrical poet, which means her poetry was designed to be performed to music. Finally, the band of dancing deer at the base references a recent translation of Sappho’s Old Age Poem.
To help all women and girls see themselves in a more positive light, we donated a portion of our proceeds to About Face. Founded in 1995, About Face works to improve girls’ and women’s self-esteem and body image by helping them understand and resist harmful media messages.
This poster was printed on an antique Vandercook Universal One press. Each piece is printed on archival, 100% rag (cotton) paper, and individually signed and numbered by both artists. This piece was printed in a limited edition, so once the edition sells out, it will not be reprinted. So snag your copy while you can!
Edition size: 158
Paper size: 10 x 18 inches
Colophon reads:
Sappho (c. 630 – 570 BCE) is the only woman counted among the Nine Lyric Poets revered in ancient Greek culture. Plato called her “the tenth muse,” but all that remains of her work is a handful of fragments. This quote is an excerpt from Fragment 58, a mysterious Old Age Poem that can be read either as a lament or a celebration of mortality. Illustrated by Chandler O’Leary and printed by Jessica Spring, in hopes that all women might see themselves both with Aphrodite’s gaze and Athena’s wisdom.
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This original artwork is copyright Chandler O’Leary and Jessica Spring 2016. Copyright is not transferable with the sale of this print. The buyer is not entitled to reproduction rights.
WA state residents are subject to sales tax.
The print is packaged in a clear poly sleeve and will ship flat in a protective mailer, via USPS Priority Mail.
