Seventeen Illustrations to Thornton's 'Virgil': Nor Fox, nor Wolf, nor Rat among our Sheep
About this artwork
These illustrations were commissioned for an easy-to-use children’s translation of Virgil’s Eclogues. Wood engraving was a newly developed technique and Blake, then aged 64, had never before worked in the medium; the results are considered the greatest wood engravings by any British artist. The process is like woodcut, except that it uses a hardwood block, cut across the grain. This harder, denser surface allows greater intricacy and the use of finer tools.
Updated before 2020
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artist:William Blake (1757 - 1827) English
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title:Seventeen Illustrations to Thornton's 'Virgil': Nor Fox, nor Wolf, nor Rat among our Sheep
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date created:1821
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materials:Wood engraving on china paper
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measurements:Trimmed: 3.50 x 7.50 cm
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object type:
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credit line:Purchased 1972
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accession number:P 2727.7
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gallery:
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subject:
William Blake
William Blake
Blake's vivid paintings and prints illustrate his originality as an artist, poet and mystic philosopher. His early apprenticeship with the engraver James Basire introduced him to a wide range of art works through prints. Blake was fascinated by Michelangelo's figures and also by medieval Gothic art...