'William Shakespeare - Sparrow' is an open edition, illustrative literary print by New York City based creative studio 'Obvious State'. This artwork is printed on heavy premium 270 gsm Fine Art paper with an elegant eggshell finish.

"There is special providence in the fall of a sparrow." - William Shakespeare from the final act of Hamlet. The entire quote reads:

"Not a whit, we defy augury. There’s a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, ’tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come. The readiness is all."

Augury was the ancient Roman practice of divination through birds (the root of words like "auspicious" and "inauguration"). To illustrate the concept of an invisible design as visualized through birds, we chose a "murmuration," a flock of tens of thousands or more birds. Although each individual bird is simply reacting to the birds immediately around it, the murmuration as a whole becomes an organic, undulating chaotic structure, a living system with its own emergent will.

Even the smallest sacrifices are part of a grander design that we cannot fathom with our limited perception. Perhaps the "will of the Gods” that our ancestors were trying to divine was simply an emergent structure we might call a murmuration of humans.

Frame Details: We use sustainable wooden frames and glass, not fibreboard and acrylic which typically you find in 'off the shelf' frames. Unlike acrylic, glass does not lose its clarity over time and can be easily and safely cleaned. We have been successfully shipping ready to hang frames containing glass since we opened in 2005. There are two finishes to choose from: black or white.

For frame details click the ‘View Frame Details’ link above.

Packaging Details: We go to great lengths to ensure that your purchase arrives in perfect condition. We only use sturdy cardboard postal tubes and double walled cardboard boxes. We use as much recycled and recyclable material as possible, including newspapers from our coffee shop, Coffee Yard, to pack our boxes.

Delivery Details: Unframed prints come flat packed. Place your order by 3pm for same day dispatch. Next day delivery is available at checkout. For full delivery information, including cost, click the ‘Delivery Information’ link above.