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Songs of Experience: Holy Thursday

Original title: Songs of Experience: Holy Thursday

Artist

William Blake

Date

[1794] printed ca. 1825

Medium

Relief etching printed in orange-brown ink and hand-colored with watercolor and shell gold

Dimensions

sheet: 6 3/16 x 5 9/16 in. (15.7 x 14.1 cm)

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1917

kurzbeschreibung

William Blake made the etching for this plate from his Songs of Experience in 1794; the present impression was printed around 1825. It was printed in orange-brown ink and then hand-coloured with watercolour and shell gold. A female figure stands in a landscape, and the full text of the poem 'Holy Thursday' appears below.

Description

A woman in a long white gown stands upright near the top, her arms raised and a branch or plant held in her hands. Behind her, mountains rise under an open sky. Beneath the figure the title 'HOLY THURSDAY' appears in large golden letters, followed by the verses of the poem in gold. Green and yellow leaves frame the text, and further lines run along the bottom edge. Gold, green and red dominate the palette, and the clear layout directs the eye to figure and words.

Context

Blake wrote the Songs of Experience as a counterpart to the Songs of Innocence of 1789 and first issued both together in 1794. The poem 'Holy Thursday' targets the poverty of London's orphan children and criticises church charity. The impression of about 1825 dates from a period when Blake was already known for his illuminated prints, which he produced using his own relief-etching method.

Impact

Luminous watercolours and golden sheen give the sheet something of an illuminated manuscript. The figure with raised arms seems an allegorical presence lifting the text into the spiritual realm. Foliage as ornamental framing binds image and writing closely together and draws the viewer into Blake's poetic world.

Technique

For his illuminated books Blake used relief etching, which he developed himself: the lines to be printed remain raised while the spaces between them are etched away. Printing was done in orange-brown ink, followed by hand-colouring with watercolour and shell gold. The interplay of print and manual colour gives each copy its own character.

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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)