Shepherd Chases Away a Wolf, from Thornton's "Pastorals of Virgil"

Shepherd Chases Away a Wolf, from Thornton's "Pastorals of Virgil" is a powerful wood engraving created by William Blake in 1821. This small, intensely wrought print belongs to a famous series of illustrations commissioned by Robert John Thornton for his edition of Virgil’s Pastorals. The image captures a pivotal moment in the life of the classical Shepherd, showing the figure actively defending his flock of animals against a dangerous wolf.

Executed in its second state, this particular print demonstrates Blake’s unique, visionary approach to the wood engraving medium. Unlike contemporaries who favored delicate details, Blake used bold, angular lines and stark juxtapositions of light and shadow, giving the work a primitive, almost medieval energy that perfectly suits the raw, elemental themes of Virgil’s ancient poetry. The illustration is widely considered a cornerstone of Blake's late career, showing his radical departure from prevailing aesthetic trends in British printmaking and book illustration.

Blake’s decision to depict the conflict between the protecting Shepherd and the predatory beast emphasizes the eternal struggle between order and chaos, themes deeply resonant in both classical literature and the artist’s own mystical worldview. The resulting series of prints profoundly influenced subsequent generations of artists in the revival of the medium. This essential example of the artist's oeuvre resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Being part of a major illustrated book project, high-quality images of these significant prints are frequently found in the public domain, allowing global appreciation of Blake’s final contributions to illustration.