Thenot Under Fruit Tree, from The Pastorals of Virgil

"Thenot Under Fruit Tree, from The Pastorals of Virgil" is a delicate wood engraving created by William Blake English, 1757-1827, in 1821. This significant print, rendered on off-white wove paper, belongs to a series of illustrations commissioned for a new edition of Robert John Thornton’s The Pastorals of Virgil. The choice of wood engraving, requiring meticulous detail carved into the end-grain of the wood block, was essential for Blake to capture the highly contrasted, rustic landscape central to Virgil’s poetry.

Blake’s approach to these pastoral scenes transcends traditional illustration; the figures and dense foliage are rendered with a symbolic intensity that characterizes his late period. Despite the traditional subject matter, the artist imbued the scene of Thenot Under Fruit Tree with his signature visionary quality, influencing subsequent generations of English printmakers. The work demonstrates Blake’s radical departure from prevailing academic styles, favoring a rugged, almost primitive aesthetic that suited the timeless nature of the ancient text. It stands as a pivotal example of graphic art produced in England during the height of the Romantic movement, showcasing the transition from conventional illustration to deeply personal artistic expression.

As a key example of the artist’s mastery of this challenging medium, this print remains highly significant to the study of 19th-century British art. The Art Institute of Chicago holds this impression in its esteemed collection of prints, ensuring its preservation and availability for research. Recognizing the historical importance of such works, high-quality reproductions of this image are frequently made available through various public domain resources, allowing scholars and enthusiasts worldwide to study Blake’s innovative style.