Sarah Gillespie – White Ermine Moth

White Ermine Moth is one of a series of moth mezzotints by Sarah Gillespie. Moths have been on Earth longer than flowering plants and mammals and these meticulously detailed studies highlight their diverse and mysterious beauty. Through the slow and painstaking method of mezzotint engraving, Gillespie draws the patterns, tones and textures of each moth from the toothed surface of the copper plate. There are no outlines in mezzotint and the resulting chiaroscuro and soft, dissolving edges, speak poetically to the growing absence of these creatures from our bright lives.

Sarah Gillespie uses her mastery of drawing and printmaking skills to explore her subjects. Her contemplative depictions of moths, birds and moonlit landscapes encourage us to value and attend more closely to the natural world. The quality of light is central to her compelling imagery, informing her selection of methods and materials. Drawings and works on paper often include intricate webs of charcoal or silverpoint marks. She is one of only a few artists using the centuries-old medium of mezzotint in her contemporary practice.

Gillespie studied 16th and 17th century art methods and materials at the Atelier Neo Medici in Paris before going on to read Fine Art at The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford University. Extensive collections of her mezzotints are held by The Victoria and Albert Museum, London and Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris. Other public collections include: The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge; Pallant House Gallery, Chichester; Chippenham Museum, Wiltshire, and Xuhui Art Museum, Shanghai. In 2022 The National Portrait Gallery, London commissioned her to make a special work and a film for their permanent displays.

This print is part of a folio set – FOLIO 25

Folio 25 comprises sixteen fine art prints by sixteen UK–based artists. Eight sheets are in portrait format, 38 x 28 cm (15” x 11”) and eight sheets are in landscape format, 28 x 38 cm (11” x 15”). There are multiple sizes of graphic blocks and plates, and a selection of different papers, with six images printed to the edge of the sheet. Each print has a limited edition of twenty. Ten of each edition form part of complete folio sets (all sixteen prints) and ten are available as individual prints. 10% of each edition is marked AP, one of each edition is marked HC and another PP

LINK TO FOLIO 25 SET

Current Exhibition

Sarah Gillespie: Birded and Eyed
Kestle Barton, Cornwall TR12 6HU
20th June – 6th September 2026
website

“Kestle Barton presents  ‘Birded and Eyed’, a second solo exhibition by Sarah Gillespie, following her exhibition at Kestle Barton in 2020.  the show brings together new works in mezzotint and drawing, developed through her close observation of the woods, meadows and night-life around both Kestle Barton and her home in Devon.”