Anon. Primrose Flower

An original early 19th-century pin-prick picture, Primrose Flower.

This is an exquisite example of a antique pin-prick picture, a now rare art form of the late 18th and early 19th century. The ghostly yet emphatic image of a primrose flower has been created by pricking holes in a piece of paper. The undulating surface of the paper, creating the effect of shape and shadow, has been produced by varying whether the pricks are made from the front or the back of the sheet, and by the varying density of pricks. By the end of the 18th century, working in paper using a variety of techniques was a favourite pastime of the genteel classes—the paper-prick image being one of the most challenging techniques. Examples of such work can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.