Songs of Innocence: The Divine Image

Songs of Innocence: The Divine Image by William Blake is an illuminated book plate created between 1789 and 1825, showcasing the artist’s unique fusion of visual art and profound poetry. This specific copy, part of the broader Songs of Innocence series, is a masterful example of Blake’s printing technique: a relief etching meticulously printed in an orange-brown ink base, then exquisitely hand-colored using delicate watercolor washes and shell gold highlights. The lengthy creation period reflects the artist’s practice of producing and coloring copies of his famous composite works on demand throughout his lifetime. This unique method, often referred to as illuminated printing, allowed Blake to control both the production of the text and the corresponding visual imagery, ensuring that his poetic and artistic vision remained unified.

The visual composition surrounding the text of The Divine Image reinforces the central themes of the corresponding poem: Mercy, Pity, Peace, and Love. Blake often populated these designs with intertwined figures, vines, and natural elements that serve as both decorative borders and direct illustrations of the text's spiritual content. As one of the most recognizable works of visionary Romanticism, the piece powerfully demonstrates Blake’s commitment to spiritual allegory and social critique through his distinctive printmaking. This important example of early nineteenth-century prints resides in the comprehensive holdings of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because of the age and enduring artistic relevance of Blake’s oeuvre, high-resolution reproductions of his illuminated texts are frequently available in the public domain for study and appreciation, cementing the lasting influence of his poetry and graphic innovations.