Microscopic Jubilee Portrait Sells for Charity!
Tiny Art with a Huge Impact
A portrait no bigger than a human hair was created to mark the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. Measuring just 20 microns square—that’s 20 millionths of a metre—this incredibly tiny image was crafted by Oxford Instruments Asylum Research using cutting-edge tech.
Tech Marvel Meets Royal Tribute
The secret behind this miniature masterpiece? Oxford Instruments’ Cypher ES atomic force microscope combined with anodic oxidation lithography. This fancy technique carves patterns at the nanoscale onto materials like graphene and silicon, normally used for the next wave of electronic devices. But for the Jubilee, it’s art with a cause.
Oxford Instruments: Science’s High-Tech Powerhouse
- Founded in 1959 as Oxford University’s first academic spin-out.
- Now one of the UK’s top tech firms, famed for enabling breakthroughs in Nobel Prize-winning research.
- Winner of 14 Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in Innovation and International Trade.
- Drives progress in medicine, green energy, quantum computing, and communications tech worldwide.
Portrait Sale Supports Good Causes
The tiny Jubilee portrait recently went under the hammer, raising around £1,053 (NT$40,000). The buyer, John Eastwood of high-tech law firm Eiger, said:
“This portrait is a remarkable achievement by Oxford Instruments and a brilliant example of their ability to create at the nanoscale. Created in celebration of her late Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, it now stands as a lovely tribute to her. We’re delighted to have secured it for Eiger’s collection while also raising money for such good causes.”
Jonathan Bryon, Oxford Instruments’ President for East and South East Asia, added:
“Our technology is always a force for good – but this project is a slight departure from our usual science-based approach to furthering global progress!”
Proceeds will benefit the Taiwan Salvation Army’s Puli Youth Services Centre, SOS Children’s Village, and the British Chamber of Commerce in Taipei’s four-year scholarship fund. Tiny art, big heart.
