Permission to Rest
The story behing this photograph has a twist. Read till the end.
I had placed a withered branch of butcher’s broom in the soft light falling through a gap in the roof inside my outdoor studio in Figueira da Foz. It is the same plant as in my artwork Butcher’s Broom.
One day I came back to the studio and found a yellow butterfly resting on one of the small branches. I couldn’t believe it. How lucky was I that it had landed right there, on my little branch? Very carefully, I started taking pictures.
After a few shots I thought: why hasn’t it moved yet?
Usually butterflies don’t stay long before they fly off again. Not this one and there was a reason for it.
It was dead.
How beautiful that this little creature had landed on the dry, white branch to die peacefully, I thought. It felt like a true moment of surprise and magic.
About two weeks later I was sitting in the living room, telling this story to the other residents, when a dear friend softly tapped my shoulder. She didn’t want to ruin the magic, but it was she who had placed the butterfly on the branch, she said.
She had come across this beautiful yellow butterfly, thought of me right away, and since I wasn’t home, she carefully placed it in my studio. When she saw the white branch in the soft light from the gap in the roof, she thought it was the perfect place for the butterfly to rest in peace.
This plot twist made us all laugh. And it didn’t erase the magic of the wonderful moment when I first noticed the butterfly in my studio. Because it was the whole picture that made it magical: the light, the intense yellow color in contrast with the white branch.
If anything, it added to it, because of a friend who thought of me.
I named the photograph Permission to Rest because of the butterfly resting on the branch. It’s a reminder of something many of us forget these days: to rest properly, somewhere peaceful and beautiful, in a place that feels nourishing.
To me it also has another layer – namely, how we are taught to perceive death or even how to deal with it. By all means, I deeply acknowledge the grief that comes with death – whether it concerns the loss of someone or perhaps when facing our own death. However, I let “Permission to Rest” be an example that death itself doesn’t need to be ugly, but can be something pure and even beautiful. I sincerely wish that this little creature on the branch of the butcher’s broom has found peace when it departed and my heart is sincerely grateful for its beauty it still shares so freely with us who dare to look.
Permission to Rest is part of the Figueira da Foz Collection, named after the place where I made it. Read the story behind the collection.
Product details
Fine Art Print: Unframed
- Paper: Enhanced Matte Art (EMA) fine art paper, 200 gsm
- Finish: smooth, matte surface with a natural white tone
- Printing: professional Giclée printing
- Sizes: 6 Ă— 9″ (15.2 Ă— 22.9 cm), 12 Ă— 16″ (30.5 Ă— 40.6 cm), 20 Ă— 28″ (50.8 Ă— 71.1 cm), 28 Ă— 40″ (71.1 Ă— 101.6 cm)
- Artwork proportions: 2:3. The 12 Ă— 16″, 20 Ă— 28″ and 28 Ă— 40″ sizes have a 2″ (5 cm) white border around the artwork. The 6 Ă— 9″ size has a slim 0.8 cm white border, so the visible artwork is slightly smaller than the paper size.
- The 6 Ă— 9″ size is available unframed only.
- Edition: open edition
- Presentation: supplied unframed, ready for you to frame to your taste
The matte surface helps minimise reflections while preserving detail, tonal depth and the character of the original photograph.
Fine Art Print: Framed & Mounted
- Print: Enhanced Matte Art (EMA) fine art paper, 200 gsm, Giclée printed
- Frame: black, made from sustainably sourced wood
- Mount: snow white, 2.4 mm conservation-grade mountboard, 2″ (5 cm) around the artwork
- Glazing: durable acrylic (Perspex)
- Sizes: 12 Ă— 16″ (30.5 Ă— 40.6 cm), 20 Ă— 28″ (50.8 Ă— 71.1 cm), 28 Ă— 40″ (71.1 Ă— 101.6 cm)
- Artwork proportions: 2:3. The product size includes the mount, so the visible artwork is smaller than the frame size (see the size guide).
- Edition: open edition
- Presentation: delivered ready to hang
The mounted format gives the photograph a clean, gallery-style presentation, while the black frame provides a finished and refined look for contemporary interiors.
Note: The frame itself adds roughly 2 cm on each side, so the framed pieces are slightly larger overall than the sizes shown.
Made to Order
Your artwork is produced to order rather than held as mass-produced stock, so each piece is prepared specifically for your purchase. Because production is handled by a professional print partner, production and delivery times vary depending on your destination and the fulfilment location. Colours may vary slightly between screen and print.
Size guide
The artwork itself always has a 2:3 proportion. On most sizes it is surrounded by a white border (unframed) or a white mount (framed), so the product size is larger than the artwork. The smallest size, 6 Ă— 9″, has a slim 0.8 cm border included in its paper size.
Unframed prints
| Product size | Size in cm | Artwork size | Artwork in cm | Border |
| 6 Ă— 9″ | 15.2 Ă— 22.9 | approx. 5.4 Ă— 8.4″ | approx. 13.6 Ă— 21.3 | 0.8 cm |
| 12 Ă— 16″ | 30.5 Ă— 40.6 | 8 Ă— 12″ | 20.3 Ă— 30.5 | 2″ (5 cm) |
| 20 Ă— 28″ | 50.8 Ă— 71.1 | 16 Ă— 24″ | 40.6 Ă— 61.0 | 2″ (5 cm) |
| 28 Ă— 40″ | 71.1 Ă— 101.6 | 24 Ă— 36″ | 61.0 Ă— 91.4 | 2″ (5 cm) |
Framed & mounted prints (black frame, white mount)
| Frame size | Size in cm | Artwork size | Artwork in cm | Mount |
| 12 Ă— 16″ | 30.5 Ă— 40.6 | 8 Ă— 12″ | 20.3 Ă— 30.5 | 2″ (5 cm) |
| 20 Ă— 28″ | 50.8 Ă— 71.1 | 16 Ă— 24″ | 40.6 Ă— 61.0 | 2″ (5 cm) |
| 28 Ă— 40″ | 71.1 Ă— 101.6 | 24 Ă— 36″ | 61.0 Ă— 91.4 | 2″ (5 cm) |
All dimensions are approximate. The frame size refers to the glazed area and does not include the width of the frame itself.
Not sure which size suits your space?
- 12 Ă— 16″ works well on a shelf or a small wall,
- 20 Ă— 28″ is ideal above a sofa or desk,
- and 28 Ă— 40″ makes a statement piece for a larger wall.
Shipping & taxes
I ship worldwide. Your print is produced by a professional print partner near your region where possible, and the estimated delivery time is shown at checkout.
Prices include VAT for orders within the EU. Orders shipped outside the EU are not charged EU VAT. Import duties, taxes and customs or carrier handling fees may apply in the destination country and are the responsibility of the recipient.
Packaging
Unframed prints are carefully rolled in tissue paper and shipped in a sturdy cardboard tube. Framed prints are wrapped with protective corner guards and board over the print surface, then sent in a heavy-duty box (larger sizes are also bubble-wrapped). Everything is packed to arrive safely and ready to enjoy.
Returns & reproduction
Every print is made to order especially for you, so I am unable to accept returns or exchanges for change of mind or choice of size. Please check the sizes and dimensions carefully before ordering. If you are in doubt, always contact me via mail at art@laurakoppelmann.com before finalising your order!
If your print arrives damaged, defective or misprinted, I will gladly arrange a free reprint or a refund. Please contact me within 30 days of delivery with your order number and clear photos of the print and the packaging, and keep the packaging until the matter is resolved.
If your order has not arrived within the estimated delivery window, get in touch and I will look into it with my print partner. Please double-check your shipping address at checkout, as I cannot cover orders returned due to an incorrect or incomplete address.
Minor differences in colour between screen and print are natural and are not considered a defect.
