Paul Bommer – Old Father Thames – Original Signed Limited Edition Screenprint – Number 25/50

Artist: Paul Bommer
Title: Old Father Thames
Date: Circa 2015
Medium: Original screenprint on 300 gsm Heritage paper
Edition: Limited edition of 50
This example: Number 25/50, signed by the artist
Sheet size: 50 × 70 cm (B2)
Format: Unframed; supplied carefully rolled for dispatch

Description

An original, signed and numbered limited-edition screenprint by acclaimed British artist and illustrator Paul Bommer, celebrating the history, mythology, wildlife and cultural heritage of the River Thames.

Entitled Old Father Thames, this wonderfully imaginative composition personifies England’s most famous river as a powerful mythological figure whose appearance incorporates an extraordinary collection of images and references to the Thames and the communities that have developed along its banks.

This example is numbered 25/50 from a limited edition of just 50 impressions and is signed by Paul Bommer.

Printed on heavyweight 300 gsm Heritage paper, the screenprint measures 50 × 70 cm (B2). It combines Bommer’s characteristic intricate illustration with his fascination for British folklore, history, symbolism and decorative art. The figure of Old Father Thames is depicted bearing a trident, with river plants adorning his head. His body is embellished with an elaborate collection of tattoo-like illustrations representing the people, places, creatures, buildings and historical associations of the river. The imagery invites the viewer to explore the Thames from its rural beginnings to its passage through London and eventual meeting with the sea. Rather than representing the river through conventional landscape painting or cartography, Bommer creates a richly detailed visual narrative in which the Thames itself becomes the central character.

Old Father Thames: History, Mythology and Symbolism

The personification of rivers as human figures has a long tradition in European art, drawing upon classical mythology and the ancient practice of representing rivers as deities. In Britain, the Thames has frequently been depicted as Old Father Thames, a symbolic guardian or embodiment of the river. Such representations commonly incorporate attributes associated with water, abundance, navigation and the natural world, including aquatic plants and the trident. The River Thames occupies an exceptional place in British history. Its waters have shaped the development of London and influenced the settlement, commerce and culture of southern England for centuries. From Roman Londinium and the medieval river trade to the expansion of the Port of London during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Thames has been central to the country’s economic and cultural development. It has also inspired generations of writers, painters, illustrators and craftspeople.

A Celebration of the River Thames

One of the most compelling features of Old Father Thames is the density of its imagery.

The tattoo-like illustrations incorporate references to the history and natural environment of the Thames, inviting detailed examination and repeated discovery. Subjects represented in the design include aspects of the river’s architecture, wildlife, lost tributaries, notable personalities and the fascinating objects associated with its foreshore.

These associations are especially appropriate for the Thames, whose tidal banks have yielded centuries of archaeological material, from pottery and coins to clay pipes, tools and everyday objects discarded or lost by previous generations. The design also evokes the extraordinary variety of communities and occupations historically connected with the river, including fishermen, boatmen, traders and those who depended upon the Thames for their livelihoods.

Bommer’s approach reflects a longstanding tradition of British narrative illustration in which decorative details carry individual stories and symbolic meanings. The result is both a celebration of the Thames and a work that rewards sustained attention, revealing fresh details with each viewing.

Paul Bommer: Artist and Illustrator

Paul Bommer is a British artist, printmaker and illustrator whose distinctive work combines historical research, traditional decorative influences and an exceptional attention to detail. His illustrations frequently draw upon British folklore, popular traditions, literature, heraldry, mythology and historical subjects. A characteristic feature of his work is the use of intricate patterning and elaborate compositions populated by animals, plants, fantastical creatures, architectural details and symbolic imagery.

Bommer’s interest in traditional British illustration and printmaking is particularly evident in his original screenprints, which combine bold graphic design with the intimacy and intricacy of hand-drawn illustration. His work often transforms familiar historical or literary subjects into highly original visual narratives.

Old Father Thames exemplifies this approach, bringing together mythology, social history, natural history and decorative art in a single composition.

The Print and Its Exhibition History

Old Father Thames was among the works exhibited at Paul Bommer’s Magic Lantern exhibition, held at the Town House in Fournier Street, Spitalfields, London, in November 2015.

Condition

In fine condition. Supplied unframed. The print will be carefully rolled and securely packaged in a protective postal tube for dispatch.

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