Colinet Mocked by Two Boys, from Thornton's "Pastorals of Virgil"

Colinet Mocked by Two Boys, from Thornton's "Pastorals of Virgil" is a pivotal wood engraving created by the visionary artist William Blake in 1821. This print was designed as an illustration for an edition of Virgil’s Eclogues, commissioned by Dr. Robert John Thornton for use in his school textbook. Blake’s highly personalized illustrations, specifically these small, stark designs, were revolutionary in their departure from the conventional Neoclassical imagery expected for such classical texts at the time. The medium of wood engraving, utilizing the hard end-grain of boxwood, allowed Blake to achieve a density and intensity in his line work rarely seen in popular British prints of the period.

The composition focuses intently on the central drama: the vulnerable figure of Colinet, often interpreted in pastoral poetry as representing melancholy or poetic sensitivity, being ridiculed by the two robust Boys. Blake reduces the figures to essential, simplified forms, emphasizing expressive gestures and raw emotional tension between the subjects. The deliberate crudeness of the cuts enhances the expressive power, merging the monumental scale of Blake’s imagination with the miniature format required for the printed page. Though initially misunderstood and even scoffed at by contemporary engravers, these illustrations are now recognized as foundational works of British Romanticism and critical examples of the artist’s distinct style during his late period.

The psychological narrative conveyed by the contrast of light and shadow is central to this piece. This significant print, classified as a wood engraving, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a historically important artwork, high-resolution versions of Colinet Mocked by Two Boys are often found in public domain archives, ensuring the widespread study of Blake's lasting contributions to the history of book illustration and fine art prints.