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Arthur Steel
‘The Picture Frame’ by Arthur Steel Limited Edition

1969 (printed later)

About the Item

‘The Picture Frame’ by Arthur Steel Paper size: 20 x 13.5 inches / 51 x 34 cm Framing options available. Note: Image unearthed January 2013. Arthur recalls: “I past a shop in London that sold nothing but antique picture frames. I’ve often used picture frames to frame a picture but these were huge picture frames and I started to think of what I could use them for, a scene of some kind. So, I chose The House of Commons. The men came in the van with the picture frame and I asked them to walk across the bridge so that I could get The House of Commons, Big Ben, in the frame and perhaps make a nice picture out of it. I had nothing to do with the Policeman on the horse, I only took a few shots, the two girls walking across the bridge were walking across the bridge, the two fellas stepped out, paused and the horse came past and I think the horse must have got a bit of a fright because he’s raring up. I had a picture!” Camera: Leica 35mm. Film stock: Kodak Tri-X Pan. Location: Westminster Bridge, London. Year: 1969. Collection: Platinum. Print Type: Fibre-based Harman Galerie FB Digital. Printed by: Metro Imaging. Limited Editions: All prints are limited editions, no further prints are produced once sold. 60″ prints / edition of 5 50″ prints / edition of 10 40″ prints / edition of 20 30″ prints / edition of 30 20″ prints / edition of 50 12″ prints / edition of 50 Bespoke: All prints are bespoke and printed to order. Presentation: 12 and 20 inch prints are titled, numbered, signed and carefully enfolded in acid free tissue paper, supplied flat in an acid free 4mm 3-ply box for delivery and storage purposes. The boxes are ideal for gift wrapping. The larger 30, 40, 50 and 60 inch prints are also titled, numbered, signed and carefully enfolded in acid free tissue paper and inserted into a rigid 4mm thick protective cardboard tube for delivery. Certificate of Authenticity: Each print acquired from The Arthur Steel Archive is accompanied by an individually signed Certificate of Authenticity. Copyright: © Arthur Steel / The Arthur Steel Archive. Elizabeth Tower: Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the clock at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London and is usually extended to refer to both the clock and the clock tower. The tower in which Big Ben is located is officially called the Elizabeth Tower; originally just the Clock Tower, it was renamed in 2012 for the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II. The tower was designed by Augustus Pugin in a neo-gothic style. When completed in 1859, it was, says horologist Ian Westworth, “the prince of timekeepers: the biggest, most accurate four-faced striking and chiming clock in the world”. It stands 315 feet (96 m) tall, and the climb from ground level to the belfry is 334 steps. Its base is square, measuring 39 feet (12 m) on each side. Dials of the clock are 23 feet (7.0 m) in diameter. On 31 May 2009, celebrations were held to mark the tower’s 150th anniversary. Big Ben is the largest of five bells and weighs 13 1⁄2 long tons (13.7 tonnes; 15.1 short tons). It was the largest bell in the United Kingdom for 23 years. The origin of the bell’s nickname is open to question; it may be named after Sir Benjamin Hall, who oversaw its installation, or boxing heavyweight champion Benjamin Caunt. Four quarter bells chime at 15, 30 and 45 minutes past the hour and just before Big Ben tolls on the hour. The clock uses its original Victorian mechanism, but an electric motor can be used as a backup. A British cultural icon, recognised all over the world, the tower is one of the most prominent symbols of the United Kingdom and parliamentary democracy, and it is often used in the establishing shot of films set in London. The clock tower has been part of a Grade I listed building since 1970 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. On 21 August 2017, a four-year schedule of renovation works began on the tower, which are to include the addition of a lift. There are also plans to re-glaze and repaint its dials. With a few exceptions, such as New Year’s Eve and Remembrance Sunday, the bells are to be silent until the work has been completed in the 2020s. Westminster Bridge is a road-and-foot-traffic bridge over the River Thames in London, linking Westminster on the west side and Lambeth on the east side. The bridge is painted predominantly green, the same colour as the leather seats in the House of Commons which is on the side of the Palace of Westminster nearest to the bridge. This is in contrast to Lambeth Bridge, which is red, the same colour as the seats in the House of Lords and is on the opposite side of the Houses of Parliament. In 2005–2007, it underwent a complete refurbishment, including replacing the iron fascias and repainting the whole bridge. It links the Palace of Westminster on the west side of the river with County Hall and the London Eye on the east and was the finishing point during the early years of the London Marathon. The next bridge downstream is the Hungerford footbridge and upstream is Lambeth Bridge. Westminster Bridge was designated a Grade II listed structure in 1981.
  • Creator:
    Arthur Steel (1936, British)
  • Creation Year:
    1969 (printed later)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 13.5 in (34.29 cm)Width: 20 in (50.8 cm)
  • More Editions & Sizes:
    30 x 20, limited edition of 30Price: $3,59040 x 27, limited edition of 20Price: $4,79050 x 34, limited edition of 10Price: $8,38060 x 40.5, limited edition of 5Price: $11,980
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Framing:
    Framing Options Available
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    London, GB
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: BS1stDibs: LU381310576562
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