Elspeth Lamb RSA, (b.1951), Scottish
“Rain”, limited edition Japanese print, 8/10, 1979,
£325.00
Out of stock
”This beautiful print shows a figure standing in the rain holding a golden umbrella, surrounded by slightly surreal elements — bats, statues and a pagoda rising in the distance. The colours are soft and muted, but the golds and yellows really glow against the grey-green background.
What I like most is the atmosphere. It feels slightly mysterious, almost dreamlike, like a scene from a story you’ve walked into halfway through.
The print is titled “Rain” and was made in 1979, not long after Elspeth Lamb studied Japanese woodblock printing techniques in Japan. Knowing that makes a lot of sense — the composition and delicate colour layering feel very influenced by traditional Japanese prints.
It’s a very small edition — just 10 prints — and this is number 8, which makes it quite a special piece.”
Elspeth Lamb is a Scottish printmaker, painter and illustrator known particularly for her work in etching, lithography and Japanese woodblock printing.
She studied at Edinburgh College of Art, graduating in the early 1970s, and quickly established herself as an important printmaker. In the late 1970s she travelled to Japan, where she studied traditional mokuhanga (Japanese woodblock printing) techniques under master printers. This experience had a lasting influence on her work and led to a series of prints combining Japanese printmaking methods with Western imagery.
Lamb has exhibited widely in the UK and internationally. Her work is held in numerous public collections including:
the Victoria and Albert Museum, London
the British Museum
the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
She has received several honours for her contribution to printmaking and was elected a Royal Scottish Academician (RSA). Alongside her studio practice she has also worked extensively as an illustrator of books and publications.
Her work often combines narrative imagery, subtle colour and a strong graphic line, drawing inspiration from literature, travel and historical imagery.