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Now You See Him, Now You Don’t

Reach for the Scissors—It's Time to Weave a Masterpiece

By Kate Lain

Thomas Gainsborough’s iconic painting The Blue Boy is undergoing its first major conservation effort, called “Project Blue Boy,” thanks to a grant from the Bank of America Art Conservation Project. The effort covers a two-year period during which the painting will be off view occasionally (for details, go to huntington.org/projectblueboy/). To mark this historic event, try your hand at a weaving project that makes the painting appear and disappear.

Instructions:

1. Cut out the two rectangles below.

2. Cut along the solid white lines of each grid, making sure that the strips stay attached along one side.

3. Hold Grid A so you can read “Grid A” at the top left. Rotate Grid B clockwise 90 degrees so you can read “Grid B” at the top right.

4. Now you’re ready to weave the strips of Grid B into the strips of Grid A. To make Blue Boy appear, start with B1 going under A1; continue with the other strips, alternating under with over. To make Blue Boy disappear into the green wall, start with B1 over A1; continue with other strips, alternating over with under.

5. Snap a photo of your finished masterpiece and share it with us on Instagram, Twitter, or Tumblr by tagging us!

Kate Lain is the new media developer at The Huntington.

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