Thenot and Colinet Lead their Flocks Together

The small-scale work, Thenot and Colinet Lead their Flocks Together, was executed by William Blake in 1821. Classified as a print, this piece is a sophisticated example of wood engraving created during the British Romantic period, specifically dating to the period 1801 to 1825. Blake produced this image as one of several wood engravings intended to illustrate the Pastorals of the Roman poet Virgil, a major literary project that occupied the artist late in his career.

The technique employed in the work is wood engraving, a demanding discipline that requires the artist to work directly into the end-grain of the boxwood block. Blake’s approach to illustration is characterized by its stark contrasts and intense spiritual vision, even when depicting conventional pastoral scenes. Unlike the highly polished, realistic prints favored by many contemporary illustrators, Blake used bold, often rough-hewn lines. This intentional austerity lends the work a deeply personal, elemental energy, reflecting the artist's focus on essential forms and spiritual resonance rather than visual realism. The imagery depicts the two shepherds, Thenot and Colinet, guiding their sheep through a minimal landscape, emphasizing simplicity and the harmonious, yet often harsh, relationship between man and nature.

Although these initial prints were commercially unsuccessful at the time of their creation, they are now universally celebrated as among Blake’s most profound achievements in the medium. This body of graphic work solidified his legacy not just as a poet and painter, but as an influential master of the printed arts. This particular example of high-quality British craftsmanship is held within the esteemed collection of the National Gallery of Art. As a historical work of art produced over a century ago, the piece is now safely established within the public domain, allowing for widespread study and appreciation of Blake's unique and potent late style.