Songs of Innocence: On Anothers Sorrow

Songs of Innocence: On Anothers Sorrow by William Blake is a significant plate from the artist's renowned series of illuminated books, Songs of Innocence, created between 1789 and 1825. This work represents Blake’s distinctive method of unifying verse and image, effectively establishing himself as the poet, designer, and publisher. The piece was created using the highly personalized process of relief etching, where Blake drew the text and imagery directly onto the copper plate using an acid-resistant stopping out medium. After the surrounding copper was etched away, the raised surface was inked in orange-brown before printing.

This print was then meticulously finished by hand. Blake or his assistants applied precise layers of watercolor and touches of shell gold, which imparted luminosity and customized color schemes to each impression. The composition beautifully integrates the printed poetry with evocative visual components, including symbolic Trees and figures that reinforce the poem’s theme of empathetic sorrow. These stylized natural settings are characteristic of Blake’s visionary aesthetic during the late Romantic period.

As a foundational example of early independent printmaking, this impression resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The innovative technique of relief etching allowed Blake to maintain complete artistic control over the creation and publication of his works. This piece showcases why Blake's prints remain crucial studies for understanding eighteenth-century book production and artistic freedom. Like many historic works of this period, high-resolution imagery of this print is often accessible through public domain art projects, ensuring continued scholarship and appreciation for Blake’s genius.