Sabrina's Silvery Flood, from The Pastorals of Virgil

Sabrina's Silvery Flood, from The Pastorals of Virgil, is a pivotal work created by William Blake English, 1757-1827, in 1821. This exceptional piece is executed using the demanding technique of wood engraving on off-white wove paper. It belongs to a celebrated series of illustrations for Robert John Thornton’s third edition of The Pastorals of Virgil, specifically designed to illustrate a passage from the poet’s first Eclogue. Blake’s style, often described as highly spiritual and symbolic, marked a radical departure from the prevailing classical standards of illustration in England during the early 19th century.

Blake’s commitment to wood engraving, a technique rarely used for fine art at the time, allowed him to achieve a densely interwoven pattern of light and darkness. This visual intensity transforms the traditional illustrative prints into powerful, original miniature artworks. This particular image captures the mythical figure of Sabrina, often associated with the River Severn, conveying a sense of serene, almost primordial flow that characterizes much of Blake’s late output. The composition, deceptively simple yet profoundly atmospheric, foreshadows elements of Romantic landscape painting.

Although initially considered controversial by contemporary critics due to their intentionally raw, untamed appearance compared to traditional copperplate engravings, Blake’s Virgilian illustrations are now regarded as among the most important historical prints in British art. The original piece resides within the esteemed collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, a significant example of this master’s engagement with classical literature. As a historical work of art, reproductions of these iconic prints are widely available today through various high-quality public domain archives.