Amelia Blackburn

Amelia Blackburn was an English paper-cut artist active in the 1830s.[1] Her work became popular enough in Victorian England that, for a time, a paper-cut artwork was called an "Amelia."[2][3]

Biography

Blackburn lived with a chronic illness or disability and was referred to as an "invalid." Although less of a public figure than the English paper-cut artist Mary Delaney, she continued Delaney's influence on the popularity of paper-cutting as an art medium.[2] Like Delaney, she also created "paper mosaicks."[4][5]

Blackburn was active in the 1830s. She used common white kitchen paper for her paper-cuts, which she collaged together to form an image.[2][3] Extremely thin cuts were used for certain details in her work, such as bird feathers or flowers.[6] Some parts of her paper-cuts were left white, while others were painted using watercolor.[2][3] Her technique of painting her work was sometimes done in shades, and mimicked a painting more than a colored paper collage.[6]

Her style of paper-cut collage became popular enough in England that her pieces became known as "Amelias", after her namesake.[6] For years, this then became the term used more generally for paper-cut artwork in English society.[2][3][7]

Blackburn also used pin-pricking as a technique to add fine details to her paper-cuts.[2][3] Pricks were made by flipping the paper over, and puncturing through the back of the piece. This technique became popular through her work.[1][8]

Blackburn's pieces are held by the British Museum[8] in London.

References

  1. ^ a b Rich, Chris (1993). The Book of Papercutting: A Complete Guide to All the Techniques with More Than 100 Project Ideas. Sterling Publishing Company. pp. 16, 30. ISBN 978-0-8069-0285-2. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Angrave, Bruce (1957). Sculpture in Paper. Studio Publications. pp. 19–21. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d e Laye Andrew, H. E. (1978). The Arco Encyclopaedia of Crafts. New York: Arco Publishing Company, Inc. pp. 195, 206. ISBN 978-0-668-04630-5. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  4. ^ Turner, Jane, ed. (1996). The Dictionary of Art. Vol. 24. New York: Grove. p. 57. ISBN 1-884446-00-0. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  5. ^ Latham, Jean (1971). Victoriana. New York: Stein and Day. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-8128-1372-2. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  6. ^ a b c Ritchie, Carson I. A. (1976). Art in Paper. South Brunswick: A. S. Barnes and Co., Inc. p. 198. ISBN 978-0-498-01489-5. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  7. ^ Torbet, Laura, ed. (1980). The Encyclopedia of Crafts. New York: Scribner. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-684-16409-0. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  8. ^ a b Field, June (1973). Collecting Georgian and Victorian Crafts. Heinemann. pp. 8, 11. ISBN 978-0-434-26240-3. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.