"In Great Eternity every particular Form..." (Plate 54)
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)
Inscription(s)/Marks/Lettering:
Lettered inside image: "In Great Eternity, every particular Form gives forth or Emanates | Its own peculiar Light, & the Form is the Divine Vision, | And the Light is his Garment. This is Jerusalem in every Man, | A Tent & Tabernacle of Mutual Forgiveness, Male & Female Clothings. | And Jerusalem is called Liberty among the Children of Albion. | But Albion fell down, a Rocky fragment from Eternity hurl'd | By his own Spectre, who is the Reasoning Power in every Man, | Into his own Chaos which is the Memory between Man & Man. | The silent broodings of deadly revenge, springing from the | All powerful parental affection, fills Albion from head to foot: | Seeing his sons assimilate with Luvah, bound in the bonds | Of Spiritual Hate, from which springs Sexual Love as iron chains, | He tosses like a cloud outstretch'd among Jerusalem's Ruins | Which overspread all the Earth, he groans among his ruin'd porches. | But the Spectre like a hoar frost & a Mildew rose over Albion, | Saying, I am God, O Sons of Men! I am your Rational Power! | Am I not Bacon & Newton & Locke who teach Humility to Man? | Who teach Doubt & Experiment: & my two Wings Voltaire, Rousseau. | Where is that Friend of Sinners? that Rebel against my Laws? | Who teaches Belief to the Nations, & an unknown Eternal Life. | Come hither into the Desart & turn these stones to bread. | Vain foolish Man! wilt thou believe without Experiment? | And build a World of Phantasy upon my Great Abyss? | A World of Shapes in craving lust & devouring appetite. | So spoke the hard cold constructive Spectre: he is named Arthur: | Constructing into Druid Rocks round Canaan, Agag & Aram & Pharoh. | Then Albion drew England into his bosom in groans & tears, | But she stretch'd out her starry Night in Spaces against him like | A long Serpent, in the Abyss of the Spectre which augmented | The Night with Dragon wings, cover'd with stars, & in the Wings | Jerusalem & Vala appear 'd: & above, between the Wings, magnificent, | The Divine Vision dimly appear'd in clouds of blood weeping."; upper center: "This World | Reason | Pity | Wrath | Desire"
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1992.8.1(54)
Classification:
Prints
Collection:
Prints and Drawings
Subject Terms:
stars | sphere | children | women | men | text | nudes | sun | heads | birds | bats (animals) | religious and mythological subject | literary theme
Currently On View:
Not on view
Exhibition History:
William Blake (Tate Britain, 2000-11-02 - 2001-02-04)The Human Form Divine - William Blake from the Paul Mellon Collection (Yale Center for British Art, 1997-04-02 - 1997-07-06)
Publications:
VALA : The journal of the Blake Society, The Blake Society, London, p. 11, PR4146.B54 V35+ (YCBA)