"The River Pharaoh" | Fine art print, limited edition. 2022
"The River Pharaoh" is a limited edition of a custom fine art print, I realeased July 2022.
The protagonist of this project was of course Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, the renowned dinosaur from Egypt, in a way a true Prehistoric Pharaoh.
The product consisted in a limited, numbered set of fine art prints, a booklet and a postcard. The available bundles were 20, to celebrate the year of the revolutionary Spinosaurus' tail discovery (2020).
Here below are reported from left to right: the cover of "The River Pharaoh" project; what products were included in each of the 20 bundles:
1. "The Pharaoh" print: 50x70 cm, 300 gr, numbered and signed;
2. "Spinosaurus evolution" print: 50x70 cm, 300 gr, numbered and signed;
3. "The River Pharaoh" booklet: A4, 24 pages;
4. Commemorative postcard;
5-6. The envelope and the tube the products were delivered.
Fine art prints set
"The Pharaoh" print
In "The Pharaoh" print is depicted Spinosaurus aegyptiacus in the paleo-environment of Cretaceous Bahariya (Egypt).
In the scene, alongside Spinosaurus, is possible to see other species of that period: the cartilagineous fish Onchopristis, the fresh-water turtle Apertotemporalis, the crocodylomorph Stomatosuchus and the mangrove-like tree fern Weichselia.
Above and below the scene there are two decorated frontons, that in an "ancient Egyptian" style show some moments of the life of a Spinosaurus.
These decorated stripes are present in both prints and they recall the project's "ancient Egyptian style" visual identity.
In the decorations of "The Pharaoh" print we can see a hypothetical Spinosaurus' mating ritual above and a Spinosaurus chasing an Onchopristis below.
Close ups of "The Pharaoh" print.
"Spinosaurus evolution" print
The "Spinosaur evolution" print is the second fine art print included in each of the 20 limited edition bundles of "The River Pharaoh" project.
It shows the main stages of the iconographic evolution of Spinosaurus, starting from its discovery in 1915 to the latest revelations about the tail and its swimming habits in 2020.
Spinosaurus' paleoartistic representations have changed a lot as the scientific knowledge kept going on. Maybe it is one of the best representations of the concept that as in Paleontology as in Paleoart everything is a process in the making.
In the decorated striped on this print we can see a Spinosaurus chasing a Mawsonia (giant cretaceous Coelacanth) above, and a Spinosaurus just chilling in water below.
"The River Pharaoh" booklet
"The River Pharaoh" booklet was a 24 pages publication that reported all the work and the process behind the recostruction of Spinosaurus and its environment and the creation of "The River Pharaoh" project.
The booklet was designed to give the customer the sensation of "having a tour behind the scenes" and to give some special treats to the real Spinosaurus enthusiasts.
Pages of "The River Pharaoh" booklet.
From left to right:
- Spinosaurus' anatomical features and adaptations
- The process behind the reconstruction of Spinosaurus aegyptiacus
Below: a happy customer enjoyng the booklet.
Simone Zoccante
Natural History Illustrator
simonezoccante@gmail.com