Thenot Remonstrates With Colinet, from Thornton's "Pastorals of Virgil" (1821, Met-Objekt 3879)
Original title: Thenot Remonstrates With Colinet, from Thornton's "Pastorals of Virgil"
kurzbeschreibung
Unlike many pastoral images of its time, William Blake's wood engraving Thenot ermahnt Colinet from 1821 stays close to the scene itself: two shepherds with sheep between them, all held within a tiny format of 3.8 by 7.3 cm. It belongs to the illustrations for Robert John Thornton's edition of the Pastorals of Virgil.
Description
At the left foreground, a figure in a long, long-sleeved robe strides to the right. Facing this person, on a rise, stands a second figure holding a staff, arms raised as if to object. Several sheep are scattered between the two, loosening the pictorial space. Beyond, a wide landscape opens with a river under a cloudy sky. The arrangement feels balanced: the right-hand figure and the left are linked by the animals.
Context
The wood engravings for Thornton's school edition of Virgil's Pastorals were made in 1821. The publisher had commissioned Blake but initially responded with hostility to his work, though he later spoke approvingly of the prints. Blake's view of ancient pastoral poetry was shaped by his own mystical and romantic outlook, setting it apart from the usual bucolic tradition.
Impact
The small image feels peaceful thanks to its clear, calm layout and even lighting. At the same time, the gestures of the two figures introduce tension and draw the viewer's eye into the action.
Technique
For this second-state wood engraving, the motif was cut into a woodblock and then printed. The monochrome printing brings out fine lines and areas that capture the landscape and figures precisely.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)