<< YCBA Home Yale Center for British Art Yale Center for British Art << YCBA Home

YCBA Collections Search

 
IIIF Actions
Creator:
Print made by William Blake, 1757–1827
Title:
"Highgates heights & Hampsteads..." (Plate 84)
Part Of:

Collective Title: Jerusalem: The Emanation of The Giant Albion, Copy E

Date:
1804 to 1820
Materials & Techniques:
Relief etching printed in orange ink, with watercolor, pen and black ink, and gold on moderately thick, smooth, cream wove paper
Dimensions:
Sheet: 13 1/2 x 10 3/8 inches (34.3 x 26.4 cm), Plate: 8 1/4 x 5 7/8 inches (21 x 15 cm)
Inscription(s)/Marks/Lettering:

Inscribed in orange ink, upper right: "84"

Lettered inside image: "Highgate's heights & Hampstead's, to Poplar, Hackney & Bow; | To Islington & Paddington & the Brook of Albion's River. | We builded Jerusalem as a City & a Temple; from Lambeth | We began our Foundations; lovely Lambeth, O lovely Hills | Of Camberwell, we shall behold you no more in glory & pride, | For Jerusalem lies in ruins & the Furnaces of Los are builded there: | You are now shrunk up to a narrow Rock in the midst of the Sea. | But here we build Babylon on Euphrates, compell'd to build | And to inhabit, our Little-ones to clothe in armour of the gold | Of Jerusalem's Cherubims & to forge them swords of her Altars. | I see London blind & age bent begging thro' the Streets | Of Babylon, led by a child, his tears run down his beard. | The voice of Wandering Reuben ecchoes from street to street, | In all the Cities of the Nations, Paris, Madrid, Amsterdam. | The Corner of Broad Street weeps; Poland Street languishes | To Great Queen Street & Lincoln's Inn: all is distress & woe. | The night falls thick: Hand comes from Albion in his strength: | He combines into a Mighty-one, the Double Molech & Chemosh, | Marching thro' Egypt in his fury: the East is pale at his course: | The Nations of India, the Wild Tartar that never knew Man, | Starts from his lofty places & casts down his tents & flees away. | But we woo him all the night in songs. O Los come forth, O Los | Divide us from these terrors & give us power them to subdue. | Arise upon thy Watches, let us see thy Globe of fire | On Albion's Rocks & let thy voice be heard upon Euphrates. | Thus sang the Daughters in lamentation, uniting into One | With Rahab as she turn'd the iron Spindle of destruction. | Terrified at the Sons of Albion they took the Falshood which | Gwendolen hid in her left hand, it grew & grew till it..."

Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1992.8.1(84)
Classification:
Prints
Collection:
Prints and Drawings
Subject Terms:
beard | cane | cell | children | church | leaf | literary theme | men | religious and mythological subject | robe | spires | staff (walking stick) | stone | text | vines | walking sticks
Access:
Accessible in the Study Room [Request]
Link:
https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:3519
Export:
XML
IIIF Manifest:
JSON

William Blake: Visionary (The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2023-10-17 - 2024-01-14) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]

William Blake (Tate Britain, 2000-11-02 - 2001-02-04) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]

The Human Form Divine - William Blake from the Paul Mellon Collection (Yale Center for British Art, 1997-04-02 - 1997-07-06) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition] [Exhibition Description]

William Blake - His Art & Times (Art Gallery of Ontario, 1982-12-03 - 1983-02-06) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]

William Blake - His Art & Times (Yale Center for British Art, 1982-09-15 - 1982-11-14) [YCBA Objects in the Exhibition]

William Blake : Visionary, The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, p. 153, pl. 110, NJ18.B57 A12 2020 OVERSIZE (YCBA) [YCBA]


If you have information about this object that may be of assistance please contact us.