Songs of Innocence: The Little Boy Found
Original title: Songs of Innocence: The Little Boy Found
kurzbeschreibung
From William Blake's Songs of Innocence of 1789 comes the plate 'The Little Boy Found', printed as a relief etching around 1825. It shows an adult woman and a child in a wooded setting; the coloring was done with watercolor and shell gold.
Description
Two figures dominate the image: a woman in a long white gown with golden headdress and a child in a simple white dress holding her hand. They stand on grassy ground, surrounded by trees with dark, almost black outlines. Below the figures is a text panel with the title and a poem in orange lettering, framed by decorative vines and leaves. The palette feels muted and warm, with orange and brown tones prevailing; light seems to come from above, highlighting the figures.
Context
The Songs of Innocence first appeared in 1789 and were part of Blake's own printing method, relief etching. This particular copy is a later impression from about 1825, hand-colored by the artist himself. The songs combine simple poems with elaborate illustrations, expressing Blake's Romantic idea of childhood innocence.
Impact
Delicate watercolor hues meet strong outlines, creating a calm, almost meditative mood. The golden headdress draws the eye to the maternal figure and emphasizes her protective stance toward the child.
Technique
The plate was made by relief etching, in which the non-printing areas are etched away and the raised lines take up the ink. It was printed in orange-brown ink; afterward the sheet was hand-colored with watercolor and shell gold. The paper measures 15.7 x 14.1 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)