Boy Returning Joyfully, with Plough and Oxen, from Thornton's "Pastorals of Virgil"

Boy Returning Joyfully, with Plough and Oxen, from Thornton's "Pastorals of Virgil" is a distinctive wood engraving created by William Blake in 1821. This small but powerful print was designed as one of seventeen illustrations for Dr. Robert John Thornton’s third edition of The Pastorals of Virgil. Blake’s designs for this volume were revolutionary for the period, marking a significant, if brief, engagement with the relief printing technique of wood engraving.

The composition captures the moment of rural labor complete: a young boy leads his team of large oxen and a plough back toward the farmstead as the day concludes. Blake employed a highly textured, rough-hewn style that contrasts sharply with the smooth, polished engravings popular in early 19th-century British prints. The stark simplicity used to render the figures of the boy and the powerful animals emphasizes an elemental connection between man and nature, a theme central to the artist’s visual philosophy. The dense lines and deep, shadowed atmosphere inherent to the wood engraving technique amplify the drama and spiritual weight of the scene.

Dating from the Romantic period, this work is considered a critical milestone in the history of graphic arts, demonstrating Blake’s rejection of prevailing neoclassical conventions and influencing later generations of illustrators. The specific impression resides in the renowned collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), where it serves as a key example of 19th-century illustrated literature. As a celebrated work from 1821, this artwork has entered the public domain, ensuring wide accessibility for study and appreciation.