📖 Overview
This comprehensive volume presents William Blake's illuminated books in their complete form, reproducing both the poetry and hand-colored illustrations as they originally appeared. The collection includes all of Blake's major prophetic works and shorter books created between 1789 and 1820.
Each work is presented in high-resolution color plates that capture the detail and vibrancy of Blake's original watercolors and engravings. The reproductions maintain the original dimensions and layouts of Blake's hand-printed pages, allowing readers to experience them as intended.
The book contains extensive annotations and commentary by David Bindman that provide context for Blake's artistic and printing techniques. Bindman's introduction examines Blake's innovative method of "illuminated printing" and traces the creation and publication history of each work.
Blake's illuminated books represent a unique fusion of visual art and poetry that explores themes of imagination, spirituality, and human consciousness. The works challenge conventional religious and social structures while establishing new possibilities for artistic expression.
👀 Reviews
Readers appreciate the high-quality reproductions of Blake's original illuminated works, with multiple reviewers noting the vibrant colors and fine detail that allow close study of the artwork. The large format (11.2 x 9.8 inches) helps showcase the intricate illustrations.
Several readers mention the book serves as a comprehensive collection, containing all of Blake's major illuminated works in one volume. The accompanying commentary provides historical context without overwhelming the artwork.
Main criticisms focus on the binding quality, with some reporting pages coming loose after minimal use. A few readers note the print text can be difficult to read, particularly in Blake's more ornate lettering styles.
Ratings across platforms:
Goodreads: 4.5/5 (438 ratings)
Amazon: 4.6/5 (156 ratings)
LibraryThing: 4.4/5 (52 ratings)
"This edition lets you really see every detail of Blake's work," writes one Amazon reviewer. "Though I wish the paper quality matched the reproduction quality," notes another.
📚 Similar books
Paradise Lost: Illustrated by Gustave Doré by John Milton
This edition pairs Milton's epic poem with Doré's detailed engravings in a marriage of text and image that echoes Blake's illuminated manuscripts.
The Prophetic Books of William Blake: Jerusalem by E.J. Ellis and W.B. Yeats This scholarly edition provides transcriptions and interpretations of Blake's complex prophetic works with reproductions of his original plates.
The Art of Emily the Strange by Rob Reger and Cosmic Debris The book presents a collection of dark, subversive artwork and accompanying text that follows Blake's tradition of combining visual art with poetry.
The Book of Urizen by William Blake This critical edition of Blake's creation myth includes high-quality reproductions of the original illuminated plates with detailed commentary on their symbolism and meaning.
The Buried Life of Things: How Objects Made History in Nineteenth-Century Britain by Simon Goldhill The book examines how material objects and their visual representations shaped cultural understanding in Blake's era, with particular attention to illustrated books and prints.
The Prophetic Books of William Blake: Jerusalem by E.J. Ellis and W.B. Yeats This scholarly edition provides transcriptions and interpretations of Blake's complex prophetic works with reproductions of his original plates.
The Art of Emily the Strange by Rob Reger and Cosmic Debris The book presents a collection of dark, subversive artwork and accompanying text that follows Blake's tradition of combining visual art with poetry.
The Book of Urizen by William Blake This critical edition of Blake's creation myth includes high-quality reproductions of the original illuminated plates with detailed commentary on their symbolism and meaning.
The Buried Life of Things: How Objects Made History in Nineteenth-Century Britain by Simon Goldhill The book examines how material objects and their visual representations shaped cultural understanding in Blake's era, with particular attention to illustrated books and prints.
🤔 Interesting facts
🎨 William Blake created his illuminated books by using an innovative "relief etching" technique he claimed was revealed to him in a vision by his deceased brother Robert.
📚 Each copy of Blake's illuminated books was hand-colored by the artist and his wife Catherine, making every version unique – no two copies are exactly alike.
🖋️ Blake taught his wife Catherine to read, write, and assist with his printmaking, and she became an essential collaborator in producing his illuminated works throughout their 45-year marriage.
🌟 The original copies of Blake's illuminated books were so labor-intensive that he rarely produced more than a dozen copies of each work during his lifetime, making them extremely rare and valuable today.
🎭 While Blake was largely dismissed as eccentric or even insane by his contemporaries, his illuminated books are now considered revolutionary works that merged visual art, poetry, and mysticism in ways that influenced generations of artists and writers.