Paradise Lost

Designed and letterpress printed by Jamie Murphy & Niamh McNally for the exhibition Paradise Lost and the Private Press, Milton’s Cottage, 2017. The lettering is unique to each piece, drawn in acrylic paint by Jamie Murphy, Niamh McNally, Sarah O'Neill and Phelim McGovern. The Day & Collins woodtype measures six lines (72 pt). The colophon is set in 12 point Monotype Caslon. 50 copies printed on 175 gsm GF Smith Colorplan. With this piece we sought to bring a new aesthetic to a subject which has long been approached from the safety of antiquity. In discussion with the curator, James Freemantle, we learned of John Milton's stoic dislike of the Irish, he himself having lived through an Irish rebellion against British rule. We thought that this particular extract was therefore appropriate, somehow turning Milton's words in on his own beliefs and views.