The Messenger, Gold Leaf

Richard Berner’s exceptionally intricate craft of illustrative detail comes to life in ‘The Messenger’. The wings of an emperor moth are spread open, its unblinking eye patterns staring back at the viewer through hoops of soft gold leaf.

Berner has worked meticulously to craft the imperial insect’s wings from a dense crowd of tiny figures and faces, only visible under close scrutiny. A breathtaking work of skill, ‘The Messenger’ pushes illustration into fine art with the slightest flutter of a wing.