The Secret Life of Karel Klic

This is a copperplate photogravure made in 2015.  Earlier I had bought the key in a market while on holiday in France; I had been looking for a suitable example for some time.  Klic is Czech for key. 

Klic signed his 1894 painting of Gladstone as K Key - see KLIC: Life Art Invention p74-75.  The painting was photographed to make the first rotogravure print, according to some, on oilcloth; the University of Minnesota has that in its Mertle Collection.  I have a copy printed on paper which I purchased on eBay; it was stuck on card which had dried-out over the 120 years, had become very brittle and arrived in two pieces!  But it has been 'glued-together' in Photoshop to make the illustration on p75.

Klic also used his 'Karl Key' alias when he either registered, or was named as author of other paintings which were registered for copyright purposes with the Stationers' Hall between 1894-95.  These are accessible via The National Archives website.

The big picture on the landing page of a website is known as the Hero image.