On the Earthy Bed Beneath the Beech – Limited Edition Print

Red Fox, New Forest, UK, 2023

This photograph is designed to deceive. It appears to show a sleeping fox, curled gently at the base of a tree, framed by woodland that feels untouched, enchanted. The light is soft, the composition serene. It invites a sentimental response – an improbable image of natural stillness, beauty and safety.

‘I was in a photographic bookshop,’ Packham recalls, ‘and I found this book of postmortem photography. In certain countries up until the 1930s, when a loved one died, before you called the undertaker, you called a photographer, who would arrange that person sitting up or lying down as if they were still alive, and take a photograph of them. I was very disturbed by this book, I couldn’t get it out of my mind.’

When he comes across the bodies of dead animals, Packham often preserves them, finding them too beautiful to routinely discard.  ‘I began to see a parallel between myself and the postmortem photography. The dead animal was so beautiful, I just couldn't let it go. Everything about the scene is designed to feel magical. The background, the light, even the viewpoint, slightly elevated, almost heavenly. People say, “Look at that sleeping fox – what a beautiful photograph.” Then I tell them the fox is dead, and the whole illusion collapses. You realise it isn’t wonderful at all. It’s tragic. The fox has been killed by a car. That moment – when appreciation of beauty becomes discomfort – is exactly the point.’

Prices and sizes available on enquiry. Contact gallery@iconicimages.net

• Edition of 6
• Signed and numbered on the front by Chris Packham
• Printed on Hahnemühle hemp paper