Dream of Thiralatha [from "America," cancelled plate d]

The remarkable print Dream of Thiralatha [from "America," cancelled plate d] was executed by William Blake between 1794 and 1796. This powerful work is a relief etching, distinguished by Blake’s highly personal and innovative technique where the design is carved or etched into the plate, allowing the paper to pick up the ink from the surrounding raised areas. The resulting image was then color-printed, possibly with additional hand-coloring, a method Blake frequently employed to achieve the rich, atmospheric quality and unique textures characteristic of his graphic output.

Falling squarely within the influential British artistic period of 1776 to 1800, this piece exemplifies Blake's revolutionary approach to combining poetic text and visual illustration. The print was originally intended for inclusion in his prophetic book, America a Prophecy, but it was ultimately excised, resulting in its designation as a cancelled plate. This exclusion, however, provides valuable insight into the artist’s iterative creative process and his struggle to integrate highly complex mythological visions into a commercially publishable format.

Blake’s prints from this era are recognized as crucial documents of the Romantic movement, often exploring radical themes of liberty, spiritual conflict, and intense personal vision. While the specific mythological narrative relating to the figure Thiralatha remains esoteric and deeply rooted in Blake's private cosmology, the design structure utilizes his signature energetic lines and figures caught in dramatic, visionary states.

This important example of Blake's experimental printmaking technique is housed in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art. The prints derived from Blake’s original plates are frequently analyzed in studies of 18th-century graphic arts. Reflecting its age and historical significance, the artwork is often made available through public domain initiatives, ensuring broader scholarly and public access to this singular British masterwork.