Tide Line (also known as Tide Lines)
Original fine art print (Carborundum aquatint and etching) • Sir Terry Frost (British, 1915–2003)
Style & Movement
British Abstract Art / St Ives School
Medium & Technique
Carborundum aquatint with etching and hand-applied color. The technique involves a textured carborundum ground to hold heavy ink, creating a rich, velvety impasto effect, combined with traditional etching for fine detail and likely blind embossing for the white spiral motif on the far left.
Creation Period
Circa 1993
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 55 x 75 cm (plate size); landscape format.
Subject Description
An abstract composition exploring coastal themes. The central dark rectangular band features a grid of ten smaller squares containing rhythmic, calligraphic motifs (loops, spirals, and crescents) reminiscent of organic forms found along a shoreline. A dark, leaf-like shape floats above the main band, while a bold black wave-like zigzag (a recurring Frost motif) anchors the bottom. The use of a single yellow and single red square provides rhythmic chromatic counterpoints.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good to Very Good. The print appears well-preserved within its frame, though some slight undulation of the paper is visible.
Estimated Market Value
$3,000 - $5,000 USD (£2,300 - £3,800 GBP)
Auction Estimate
$2,500 - $4,000 USD
Provenance History
Likely acquired from a gallery specializing in 20th-century British prints. A faint signature and title (partially legible as 'Tide Line') are visible in the lower margin.
Art Historical Significance
Terry Frost was a central figure in the St Ives School of British modernism. This work demonstrates his mastery of printmaking, particularly his collaboration with Hugh Stoneman to push the boundaries of carborundum etching. It encapsulates his career-long fascination with the light, color, and movement of the Cornish coast.
Notable Features
Features the artist's signature 'Terry Frost' in pencil. Distinctive use of 'blind embossing' on the white square and the characteristic high-relief texture of the carborundum technique which gives the print a sculptural, three-dimensional quality.
Condition Issues
Visible rippling of the paper support due to humidity or mounting tension. Potential minor yellowing of the paper at the margins, though common for this type of heavy rag paper.
Conservation Recommendations
Professional reframing using archival, acid-free mounts and spacers to prevent the paper from touching the glazing. Use of UV-protective glass is recommended to prevent fading of the hand-applied pigments.