Cyanotypes: Painting with Sunlight

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The cyanotype is a magical process that dates back to 1842, when the astronomer Sir John Herschel was searching for a quick way to copy his notes, long before printers were a thing. Little did he know he was about to invent one of the most poetic forms of photography.

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Soon after, botanist Anna Atkins — now considered the first female photographer — took the technique further. While illustrating her book on British algae, she began printing delicate images of plants directly onto paper using sunlight, creating some of the first photo-illustrated books in history.

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So, how does it work? Cyanotyping uses the sun and two light-sensitive chemicals: potassium ferricyanide and ammonium iron citrate. When mixed and brushed onto a porous surface (like special paper or fabric), then exposed to ultraviolet light — sunlight works beautifully — the image develops in a deep, velvety blue known as Prussian blue.

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The word cyanotype comes from the Ancient Greek kyanos (ΚΥΑΝΟΣ), meaning “sky blue.” It also calls to mind the myth of Kyane, the Sicilian nymph who was transformed into a spring out of sorrow after failing to save her friend Persephone from Hades. Like the myth, each cyanotype tells a story — not just of what you see, but of time, light, energy, and memory.

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Today, cyanotypes can be made on many surfaces — paper, wood, fabric, even ceramics or glass — and each one is entirely unique. Weather, temperature, sunlight, saltwater — all leave their signature.

 

In our workshop, we use seawater from Alimos and light from the Attic sky to create sun prints that are as personal as a fingerprint.

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Every cyanotype you make becomes a kind of natural barcode — a handmade memory of your time in Greece, captured in deep blue.