So19 Art: A Startling Event in Regency London


I made this image as a homage to Rob Morrison's The Regency Years, the subject of our latest interview. The view of Regency-era Leicester Square is from the periodical commonly known as Ackermann's Repository, more properly the Repository of arts, literature, commerce, manufactures, fashions, and politics. (The Internet Archive has digitized a number of volumes should you want to browse this splendid publication.) The hot-air balloon I floated above the scene started as a digitized version of a period engraving before getting some additional decoration in the form of the book cover, which I placed into a circular frame and superimposed onto the balloon. An old wood frame and tongue-in-cheek caption seemed like the perfect finishing touches. Thanks to Rob for a spectacular book—and some delightful inspiration for an afternoon of art-making.