Do you feel passionate about women's rights? Love stories of women? Know a strong woman who has come into her power?

This print was inspired by "Margaret, Countess of Blessington" (1822) painted by Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769 – 1830). I sketched her in the Wallace Collection, London, and then worked from my sketch. 

Margaret is part of my "Reclaiming the Feminine" series. Read more about it here.

Margaret (1789 – 1849) was an Irish novelist, journalist and literary hostess who knew and wrote a book about Lord Byron, and also enjoyed the company of Hans Christian Andersen and Charles Dickens. She was distinguished for her generosity and extravagant tastes and spent many years living in Europe, settling for the main in Naples. On returning to England she lived in Kensington, where the Royal Albert Hall stands today. Her home became a centre of attraction for all that was distinguished in literature, learning, art, science and fashion – giving her rich pickings for her job as gossip columnist for Dickens’ Daily News. However, after her partner, Count D’Orsay sold the house to escape creditors, so Margaret joined him in Paris where she died. It was discovered that her heart was three times the normal size.

Reductive wood block print, hand printed without a press. © Sibylle Laubscher, 2022
Because they are all hand printed, each print is slightly different. This is a print run of 10 prints. The reductive print method means Margaret cannot be reprinted. 

The print will be sent to you lovingly wrapped in tissue paper and cardboard to make sure it arrives safely.