Chapter eight of Finnegans Wake begins with two washerwomen1` gossiping about the Anna Livia and her husband HCE. They tantalisingly refer to his crime, but still leave us unsure of its nature. The text of the chapter is made up of river names from all over the world, woven into the dialogue of the two women and Anna Livia herself. The chapter opens with “O tell me all about Anna Livia!”, with the type set in the form of a delta. Reading it aloud, one can hear echoes of the young babbling river at its source, slowing down as the chapter progresses, until it flows out to the sea as an old woman.

The painting is inspired by the Anna Livia keystone head on the façade of the Tropical Fruit Company warehouse on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay in Dublin. She is witness to the history of Dublin City from its inception and with a look of defiance, knows that she will be reborn following the end of her journey at the Alexander Basin. The large O is the opening word of the chapter and a symbol of the circular life of the Liffey. It appears in the form of a tree ring, to mark how dendrochronology marks time. Within the circle, text from the opening of the chapter spirals into a vortex.