Restrike from fragment of cancelled plate for "A Prophecy"

The work Restrike from fragment of cancelled plate for "A Prophecy", created by William Blake in 1793, provides direct evidence of the artist’s highly experimental and proprietary printmaking methods. Classified as a Print, the piece utilizes relief etching, a technique Blake developed to integrate text and image seamlessly. The distinctive quality of this impression stems from its unique inking process: the plate was inked from a very stiff piece of card with ink rolled on to that in graduated color. This labor-intensive method allows the resulting image to possess delicate tonal transitions typically associated with painting rather than hard-edged etching.

This fragment is a significant artifact, derived from a plate that was either rejected or cut down from a larger project, likely related to Blake’s early illuminated books such as America a Prophecy (also dated 1793). The use of a "cancelled plate" means this is a highly specific restrike, capturing an element that Blake chose not to use in his final edition of the prophetic work. This method of printing from fragments underscores the experimental environment of the period spanning 1776 to 1800, during which Blake sought to revolutionize the production of visual literature.

As a foundational figure in British Romanticism, Blake’s dedication to self-publishing his visionary narratives distinguished him within the wider British art scene. His unique prints are valued both for their aesthetic power and for their historical context in the development of conceptual art and poetry. The work is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it serves as a key example of the artist’s innovative technical approaches. Today, because much of Blake's output is in the public domain, these seminal prints remain central to scholarly study of late 18th-century print culture.