Decorated With Diamond Dust, Queen Elizabeth's Graphic Works Sell Tens Of Millions Rupiah

JAKARTA - British artist Carne Griffiths will release 70 limited edition portraits of young Queen Elizabeth to mark the Platinum Jubilee.

The work, entitled "The Platinum Queen," features a portrait of Queen Elizabeth at a young age shortly before her coronation nearly seven decades ago.

The graphic art was made based on his original painting last year. In this work, Griffiths added a touch of fluorescent pink acrylic ink on top of the finished print. Each graphic is also made with diamond dust detailing on the crown and platinum leaf details.

"I think this is a touching moment to record His Majesty's precise moment at the point where he will ascend the throne," he told Reuters, quoted Tuesday.

"And when I painted the piece, I tried to imagine what kind of things he would have contemplated at the start of his reign."

Elizabeth ascended the throne to become Queen of England on 6 February 1952 or after the death of her father, King George VI. His coronation took place on June 2, 1953.

Queen Elizabeth is Britain's longest-serving ruler and is currently the oldest monarch in the world. The four-day Platinum Jubilee celebrations will kick off on June 2.

The graphic work created by Griffiths will be on sale starting June 4 through the online platform West Contemporary Editions for £1,550.

150 pounds or around Rp. 2.7 million from each sale of the work will be donated to a children's charity at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). According to Griffiths, the reason for donating to the hospital was because it had treated his newborn daughter in 2012.

Meanwhile, the original painting sold for £25,000 at a fundraiser in December, with a portion of the proceeds also being donated to GOSH.