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

"Songs of Experience: The Little Girl Lost (second plate); The Little Girl Found" by William Blake is a remarkable example of the artist's inventive technique, executed as a relief etching printed in orange-brown ink, and meticulously hand-colored with watercolor and shell gold. Produced between 1789 and 1825, this piece exemplifies Blake’s unique approach to combining image and text, creating illuminated books that defied conventional publishing methods of the period. The subtle washes of watercolor and the metallic gleam of the shell gold elevate the print beyond standard graphic reproduction, making each impression a unique work of art. The extended date range reflects the way Blake continually refined and re-colored his individual prints of the Songs of Experience.

The imagery directly illustrates two corresponding poems, forming a narrative contrast central to Blake’s philosophical poetry: the initial distress of the 'lost' state and the subsequent spiritual comfort of the 'found' state. The scene features a young girl situated within a stylized natural environment, defined by prominent trees and often accompanied by representations of animals, which are commonly interpreted as symbolic creatures guiding her spiritual journey. This work belongs to a crucial series of visionary prints that explore themes of childhood innocence, spiritual guidance, and the complexity of the human condition during the Romantic era. As a foundational piece of visual poetry, this important relief etching is held in the prestigious collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its stature ensures that high-quality prints and related studies of Blake’s distinctive artistic method remain readily available to the public domain.