The Painting

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Artwork Specifications

Provenance & Historical Significance

Original Faber & Faber commission - this painting was created specifically for Maggie Gee's novel "Light Years" book cover, making it a rare example of publishable artwork entering the private market.

Artist's handwritten documentation on reverse includes commission details and Russell Mills's contact information from 1985.

Golden era Mills - created during his most celebrated period, contemporary with his iconic work for Brian Eno, David Sylvian, and Roger Eno's "Between Tides".

How often do Faber & Faber cover originals come to market? Virtually never. This represents a unique opportunity to own a piece of British publishing and illustration history.

Why This Painting Is Extraordinary

In my decades of following Russell Mills's career, this stands as one of the most beautiful paintings he has ever created. The complexity, the layering, the sheer amount of work visible in every square inch - photographs simply cannot capture it. This piece demands to be seen in person to be truly appreciated.

The surface is alive with texture and depth. Mills's masterful use of mixed media creates a luminous quality that shifts as light moves across it. The painting rewards extended viewing - each time you look, you discover new details, new relationships between elements.

This is Mills at the height of his powers, working for one of the most prestigious literary publishers in the world, creating something that transcends mere illustration to become fine art.

Russell Mills: Britain's Greatest Illustrator

Along with Andrzej Klimowski (the Kundera covers), Russell Mills stands as the most important and influential British illustrator of the past 40 years. This is not hyperbole - look at the body of work:

Compare Mills to Peter Saville's Factory Records work or 4AD's Vaughan Oliver - both brilliant in their own right - but Mills's paintings are works of fine art that happen to grace album covers. They are deeper, richer, more rewarding to study. Gone to Earth. The Pearl. Breathtakingly beautiful pieces that have defined an aesthetic for generations.

His reputation and market value will only continue to rise. Early Mills originals from the 1980s are becoming increasingly scarce as they enter museum and serious private collections.