MAGIC PORTAL AT SAINT CLEMENTS IN PHILADELPHIA Printmaking By Jerry Di Falco

Year:

Medium:

Etching Print

Size - (USA):

14 W x 15 H x 1 D (inches)

Size - (metric):

35.6 W x 38.1 H x 2.5 D (centimeters)

Theme:

Fantasy

Edition:

10

Artwork ID:

473510

PDF Copy:

Artwork Info Sheet (PDF)

Artwork Description:

Etching Techniques Used included Intaglio, Aquatint, and Drypoint. I worked on one zinc plate that was 8 inches wide by 10 inches high,or 20.32cm by 25.40cm, to create this work. The print on STONEHENGE fawn colored paper measures 14 inches wide by 15 inches high. I blended six colors of Charbonnel brand oil based inks from France to obtain this tone. Saint Clements High Episcopal Church is located on the Southwest corner of 20th and Cherry Streets, and was designed by the distinguished Philadelphia architect John Notman, who also designed St. Marks Church on Locust Street and The Church of the Holy Trinity on Rittenhouse Square. He also collaborated with architect Napoleon Le Brun on the Roman Catholic Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul on Logan Square. Saint Clements Anglican Catholic Church, which is a part of the American Episcopal Church, was built entirely of brownstone. When the building cornerstone was laid, the church was surrounded mostly by fields. Few houses were near and large tracts of open lots surrounded the ground that had been secured for the church. The grid of streets had hardly expanded westward as far as 20th Street, and no City Hall had yet been built in Center Square. The Pennsylvania Railroad Terminal was located at 11th and Market Streets, and there was a covered wooden bridge over the Schuylkill River. The Civil War Era Church of Saint Clement was consecrated on April 12, 1864, after three years of construction. Some claim that the church is a mystical place noted for both its Lady Chapel and its Shrine of Our Lady of Clemency. The later was consecrated in March 1943 and designed by Wilfred Anthony, a renowned New York architect. The woodwork was built by the Mastery Wood Craft Company of New York, with Henry Beretta as the sculptor. Robert Robbins did the gilding and painting. 
The Lady Statue is clothed with the sun, and the moon lies under her feet. On her head sits a crown of twelve stars, as St. John was privileged to see her in Heaven Revelation 12.1.
 The Goddess-like figure of Mary stands six feet in height and rests on a polychrome pedestal of octagonal build. Two hand wrought candle rings, made by the Ferro Studios of New York, surround the base. From behind the figure, highly burnished rays of glory radiate in the shape of a great vesica. Above the statue is a deep valance of delicate wood carving, gilded and painted in medieval Gothic colours, and surmounted by a tall spire of open woodwork. The overall height of the Shrine is approximately 25 feet. During festal seasons, the image is clothed in antique lace and a white damask mantle. If you are ever in Philadelphia, a visit to this church, as well as The Episcopal Cathedral at 38th and Ludlow Streets near Drexel University, is advised. . . especially if one enjoys sacred architecture. Please note that this etching is shipped to the collector without a frame or mat. This keeps the price low and allows the collector personal choice in matt selection and framing. A sturdy cardboard box is employed for shipping the work. The etching is first wrapped in two layers of acid free glassine and then placed between two archival boards. This is next placed into the shipping carton and securely packed with bubble wrap. The Absolute Arts Dot Com price includes all handling costs, shipment supplies, and the coast of the shipment box. Mailing costs are added.

Artwork Keywords:   Original Printmaking

Materials:   Etching Prints