Folio Archives 175: Songs of Innocence and of Experience by William Blake 1992
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Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Showing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul by William Blake 1992
William Blake was a deeply religious artist and this exquisite little book is filled with Blake's poems addressed to children, but exploring adult themes such as death and social justice. Arguably his defining work, it is a collection of great visual and literary power that originally appeared in 1794. The Songs are now often read for their literary merit alone, but they were originally produced as illuminated books, engraved, hand-printed, and coloured by Blake himself.
The book shows a facsimile of the original edition on the recto page, with a clear text version of each poem on the opposite verso page.
There is an introduction by Richard Holmes, and the 128 page book is bound in maroon buckram, gilt blocked with a design from Blake’s title page. There are colour illustrations by Blake on every recto page. The text is printed on cream Rivoli paper and the endpapers are pale pink. The plain maroon slipcase is a mere 17x11.4cm.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
William Blake was a deeply religious artist and this exquisite little book is filled with Blake's poems addressed to children, but exploring adult themes such as death and social justice. Arguably his defining work, it is a collection of great visual and literary power that originally appeared in 1794. The Songs are now often read for their literary merit alone, but they were originally produced as illuminated books, engraved, hand-printed, and coloured by Blake himself.
The book shows a facsimile of the original edition on the recto page, with a clear text version of each poem on the opposite verso page.
There is an introduction by Richard Holmes, and the 128 page book is bound in maroon buckram, gilt blocked with a design from Blake’s title page. There are colour illustrations by Blake on every recto page. The text is printed on cream Rivoli paper and the endpapers are pale pink. The plain maroon slipcase is a mere 17x11.4cm.
An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.
3UK_History_Fan
Just be warned. Warwick's pictures are fantastic and I do love this book, but it is so small you will likely need a strong magnifying glass (or at least younger eyes than mine) to appreciate the illustration details.
4sdg_e
>3 UK_History_Fan:
Thanks for the heads up! I do have a bit younger eyes though, so hopefully the small size is not too much of an issue. FS published this a few years before my mom published me.
Thanks for the heads up! I do have a bit younger eyes though, so hopefully the small size is not too much of an issue. FS published this a few years before my mom published me.
