Songs of Experience: The Little Girl Found (second plate)

Songs of Experience: The Little Girl Found (second plate) by William Blake is an intricate example of the artist’s illuminated printing method, dating primarily between 1789 and 1825. This particular impression is a relief etching, printed in an evocative orange-brown ink, and meticulously enhanced by hand-coloring using watercolor and shimmering shell gold. The lengthy production period reflects Blake's practice of coloring and customizing prints over decades, ensuring that each impression within the Songs of Experience series is unique. This innovative technique, where Blake often etched both text and image onto the copper plate, fused the roles of poet, printer, and painter, embodying the core of his spiritual and artistic vision.

The work depicts the climactic moment of reunion from Blake’s poem, showing a young girl, identified as Lya, being found after being lost in the wilderness. Blake renders the girl semi-nude, symbolizing vulnerability and natural innocence, safely flanked by two powerful lions. These animals are shown not as predators but as protective guides, leading her toward her parents. The scene is framed by stylized, organic trees that emphasize the mystical and spiritual setting of the discovery. This piece addresses complex themes of parental grief, divine protection, and the spiritual safety available in the face of earthly danger, central concepts in Blake's mythological framework.

As part of Blake's groundbreaking output of romantic-era prints, this piece is highly valued for its combination of textual prophecy and visual illustration. Blake’s masterful command of the relief etching process allowed him to disseminate his radical spiritual messages widely through limited-edition prints. This specific, hand-colored example of The Little Girl Found resides in the esteemed collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Due to the artwork’s age and historical significance, high-resolution digital versions of many of Blake’s prints are now available through public domain archives, allowing global access to the artist's unique synthesis of poetry and visual art.