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Creator:
Print made by William Blake, 1757–1827
Title:
"Became a Space & an Allegory..." (Plate 85)
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 and pen and black ink 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: "85"

Lettered inside image: "Became a Space & an Allegory around the Winding Worm: | They nam'd it Canaan & built for it a tender Moon. | Los smil'd with joy, thinking on Enitharmon, & he brought | Reuben from his twelvefold wand'rings & led him into it, | Planting the Seeds of the Twelve Tribes & Moses & David: | And gave a Time & Revolution to the Space, Six Thousand Years. | He call'd it Divine Analogy, for in Beulah the Feminine | Emanations Create Space, the Masculine Create Time, & plant | The Seeds of beauty in the Space: list'ning to their lamentation | Los walks upon his ancient Mountains in the deadly darkness, | Among his Furnaces directing his laborious Myriads, watchful | Looking to the East: & his voice is heard over the whole Earth | As he watches the Furnaces by night, & directs the labourers. | And thus Los replies upon his Watch: the Valleys listen silent, | The Stars stand still to hear: Jerusalem & Vala cease to mourn: | His voice is heard from Albion: the Alps & Appenines | Listen: Hermon & Lebanon bow their crowned heads: | Babel & Shinar look toward the Western Gate, they sit down | Silent at his voice; they view the red Globe of fire in Los's hand, | As he walks from Furnace to Furnace directing the labourers. | And this is the Song of Los, the Song that he sings on his Watch. | lovely mild Jerusalem! O Shiloh of Mount Ephraim! | I see thy Gates of precious stones ; thy Walls of gold & silver. | Thou art the soft reflected Image of the Sleeping Man, | Who stretch'd on Albion's rocks reposes amidst his Twenty-eight | Cities; where Beulah lovely terminates, in the hills & valleys of Albion. | Cities not yet embodied in Time and Space: plant ye | The Seeds, O Sisters, in the bosom of Time & Space's womb | To spring up for Jerusalem: lovely Shadow of Sleeping Albion. | Why wilt thou rend thyself apart & build an Earthly Kingdom, | To reign in pride & to opress & to mix the Cup of Delusion, | O thou that dwellest with Babylon! Come forth, O lovely-one!"

Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1992.8.1(85)
Classification:
Prints
Collection:
Prints and Drawings
Subject Terms:
fruits | grapes | leaf | literary theme | men | moon | nudes | religious and mythological subject | roots | sinews | sitting | sky | stars | sun | text | vines | women
Access:
Accessible in the Study Room [Request]
Link:
https://collections.britishart.yale.edu/catalog/tms:3520
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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]


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