Gordon Beningfield: Emperor Dragonfly

Artist: Gordon Beningfield
1936 - 1998
Nationality: British
Artwork Year: 1985
Image Size: 7 by 6 inches
Overall Size: 13 by 11 inches
Medium: Water Color on Water Color Paper

With wings as delicate as tissue paper and a long, needle-like body that is at once intriguing and terrifying, the Emperor Dragonfly ranks as one of the most conspicuous of all insects in the garden. The poet and zoologist H. Lons described the dragonfly as the "messenger of summer and herald of the sun." And, in its British homeland, the dragonfly is indeed a creature of the warm sunshine. It mates, hunts, and lays its eggs all in the bright sunshine where its beautiful wings capture and reflect the sun's rays to the delight of all visitors to the garden. However, there was a time when the harmless dragonfly was feared and mistrusted by man as an instrument of the devil. Call devil's darning needles, eye piercers, and devil's arrows, dragonflies were thought to sting with deadly poison. Today, the beautiful Emperor Dragonfly -- and others of its family -- are no longer regarded as creatures of doom. Rather, they are regarded as beautiful creatures of the garden and are rarely feared ... except by children, awe-struck by the dragonfly's unusual appearance.

This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood® First Day Cover for the Great Britain 34p Emperor Dragonfly stamp issued March 12, 1985.

Artwork Copyright © 1985 Unicover Corporation. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Images of the Artwork may be watermarked and/or digitally watermarked. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the copyright.

Our Stock Number (SKU): Sold

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