Buy 3 prints, get 20% off · Framed prints count too
Literary art printEdge style
Invitation To A Beheading Book Watercolour Illustration by V. Nabokov
Arrives
- Ordered Today
- Dispatched
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Printed
Locally We partner with domestic printing companies to reduce shipping friction and import costs. - Museum-grade paper 200gsm uncoated stock with archival inks. Built to last a lifetime.
- Hassle-Free Refunds Guaranteed refund on any prints that arrive damaged or do not arrive at all.
About this poster
A book poster inspired by Invitation to a Beheading by Vladimir Nabokov — a haunting exploration of individuality crushed beneath the weight of a grotesque, totalitarian society. Cincinnatus C., imprisoned and condemned for the crime of 'gnostical turpitude,' endures a surreal countdown to his execution, surrounded by the absurd theatre of his jailers, the farcical lawyer Roman Vissarionovich, and the inexplicable Marthe. This literary art print evokes the claustrophobic terror of a world where opacity of soul is punishable by death, and the search for authentic selfhood becomes an act of quiet rebellion. A haunting addition to a study, home library, or reading nook, it makes a wonderful gift for literary fiction enthusiasts, philosophy readers, and fans of Kafka and existential absurdism.
This watercolour illustration of Invitation To A Beheading steps out of the gallery and into the story — soft colour washes behind the title, with crisp lettering emerging through a brushed halo. Romantic, atmospheric, a little dreamy. Book illustration art made for reading nooks, nurseries, and walls that quietly wish they were a library.
✦ Available in three paper finishes: matte, satin, or gloss
Print details
- Paper: 200gsm museum-grade paper, printed to order for you.
- Sizes: A5, A4, A3, A2, A1, and 12×18″, 16×24″, 20×30″, 24×36″.
- Framing: optional pine frames in natural wood, black or white, with a shatter-resistant acrylic front and hanging kit. Choose a frame above.
- Delivery: free tracked delivery to the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and the EU, printed in your region. Order by 1pm (Mon–Fri) for same-day dispatch.
- Damaged in transit? We replace or refund it, free.
An original Blurby design inspired by the book. Not official merchandise, and not affiliated with the author or publisher.
Delivery & returns
Free delivery to the UK, USA, Canada, Europe and Australia. Royal Mail tracked. International shipping calculated at checkout.
Every print is made to order. If your order arrives damaged or does not arrive at all, we will refund or replace it — just get in touch and we will make it right.
About the book
Invitation To A Beheading by Vladimir Nabokov, first published in 1935. Set in Unnamed Fortress-prison In A Surreal Totalitarian State, 1930s. Themes: freedom, identity, power, death.
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Our frames
Framed & Ready To Hang
- Sustainably sourced pine wood frames in wood, black or white
- UV-protective, shatter-resistant acrylic front, lighter and safer than glass
- Arrives framed with a hanging kit, portrait or landscape
- Slim, modern profile, about 12mm wide
- Packed with corner protectors so it arrives safely
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Black
A smooth black finish
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Wood
A natural wood finish
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White
A clean white finish
invitation to a beheading
Available In 6 Styles
Complete your wall
Mix & match any 3 Buy 3 prints, get 20% off
What size poster should I buy?
Paper sizes are hard to picture. Below, every size we print is hung on the same living room wall, to scale above a 2.2 m sofa, so you can see the real difference between an A4 and an A2 before you order.
Every size, on a real wall
Shown to scale above a 2.2 m sofa, each frame hung 20 cm above the sofa back.
Every size, in centimetres and inches
Portrait prints
| Size | Centimetres | Inches |
|---|---|---|
| A5 | 14.8 × 21 cm | 5.8 × 8.3 in |
| A4 | 21 × 29.7 cm | 8.3 × 11.7 in |
| A3 | 29.7 × 42 cm | 11.7 × 16.5 in |
| A2 | 42 × 59.4 cm | 16.5 × 23.4 in |
| A1 | 59.4 × 84.1 cm | 23.4 × 33.1 in |
| 12 × 18 | 30.5 × 45.7 cm | 12 × 18 in |
| 16 × 24 | 40.6 × 61 cm | 16 × 24 in |
| 20 × 30 | 50.8 × 76.2 cm | 20 × 30 in |
| 24 × 36 | 61 × 91.4 cm | 24 × 36 in |
Square prints
| Size | Centimetres | Inches |
|---|---|---|
| 10 × 10 | 25.4 × 25.4 cm | 10 × 10 in |
| 12 × 12 | 30.5 × 30.5 cm | 12 × 12 in |
| 14 × 14 | 35.6 × 35.6 cm | 14 × 14 in |
| 16 × 16 | 40.6 × 40.6 cm | 16 × 16 in |
| 18 × 18 | 45.7 × 45.7 cm | 18 × 18 in |
| 20 × 20 | 50.8 × 50.8 cm | 20 × 20 in |
| 28 × 28 | 71.1 × 71.1 cm | 28 × 28 in |
Sizes are the printed paper. A frame adds a border around the print, so a framed piece covers a little more wall than the figures above. Prices for each size are shown on the product page.
Where to hang it
On its own
Hang so the middle of the print sits about 145 cm from the floor. That is eye level for most people and the height galleries use.
Above a sofa or bed
Leave 15 to 25 cm between the top of the furniture and the bottom of the frame, and pick a print roughly two thirds the width of the sofa.
A set of three
Keep 5 to 8 cm between frames and line up their middles. Three A4s or three A3s side by side read as one piece.
A gallery wall
Mix A5 and A4 around one larger A3 or A2. Lay it out on the floor first, then hang from the middle outwards.
IN YOUR HOME
Picture it on the wall.
“Very good very nice work.”
“Love this picture of my favourite book. Looks great on my office wall and really well packaged and prompt delivery. Highly recommended”
“Really love this picture which arrived well packaged and promptly. Highly recommended”
“Posters are beautiful and seller is very communicative”
“This was perfect! Just what I needed”
“This was perfect! Just what I needed”
“This was perfect! Just what I needed”
“This was perfect! Just what I needed”
“This was perfect! Just what I needed”
“This was perfect! Just what I needed”
“Very pleased gp quick this came”
“Another beautiful print that takes me right back to the English cottages in the Lake District. Wonderful quality print!”
Why Blurby Posters?
Packaging worth keeping.
Each poster ships in a hand-rolled tube with a recycled-card protector. No bent corners. No surprises.
- Hand-rolled tubes
- Recycled card protector
- Tracked UK delivery
Print quality you can frame.
200gsm uncoated stock with archival pigment inks. Crisp blacks, rich colour, zero glare.
- 200gsm uncoated paper
- Archival pigment inks
- Made to frame, not to fold