Nebuchadnezzar is a colour monotype print with additions in ink and watercolour portraying the Old Testament Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II by the English poet, painter, and printmakerWilliam Blake. Taken from the Book of Daniel, the legend of Nebuchadnezzar tells of a ruler who through hubris lost his mind and was reduced to animalistic madness[1] and eating "grass as oxen".[2]
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston impression. Probably printed in 1805
The Minneapolis Institute of Art impression. Printed 1795
According to the biographer Alexander Gilchrist (1828–1861), in Blake's print the viewer is faced with the "mad king crawling like a hunted beast into a den among the rocks; his tangled golden beard sweeping the ground, his nails like vultures' talons, and his wild eyes full of sullen terror. The powerful frame is losing semblance of humanity, and is bestial in its rough growth of hair, reptile in the toad-like markings and spottings of the skin, which takes on unnatural hues of green, blue, and russet."[3]
Nebuchadnezzar was part of the so-called Large Colour Prints; a series begun in 1795 of twelve 43 cm × 53 cm colour monotype prints, of most of which three copies were made. These were painted on millboard,[4] after which the board was put through Blake's printing-press with a sheet of dampened paper to make the prints. After they were printed, Blake and his wife Catherine added ink and watercolour to the impressions.[5] It existed in four impressions (copies), now in: Tate Britain in London, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,[6] the Minneapolis Institute of Art,[7] and a fourth which has been missing since 1887.[8] Blake believed that Nebuchadnezzar was connected to the Christian apocalypse and to his personal view on the stages of human development.
Detail of The Penance of St. John Chrysostom, engraving, 1496
Nebuchadnezzar was adapted from an earlier print in Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell.[9] The plates for the Large Colour Prints and the first prints were made in 1795, but further impressions seem to have been printed in about 1805.[10] In the late summer of 1805, Blake sold to Thomas Butts Jr. eight impressions of the Large Colour Prints, including the Tate Nebuchadnezzar, for £1.1s each.[11]
John Clark Strange bought Butts's prints on 29 June 1853 and later acquired the rest of the collection that was sold to Henry George Bohn. Although he originally wanted to produce a biography on Blake, he later abandoned this idea after he learned of Gilchrist's biography. However, his journal was filled with his notes for the biography, and contain many accounts from those who knew Blake, excerpts from Blake's journal, and analysis of Blake's work.[12] In his journal, he describes Nebuchadnezzar "crawling on his belly, naked covered with hair & nails grown long, eating grass.—'What was singular was that Blake's conception was almost a facsimile of an ancient German print of the same subject and which design Blake had never seen."[13]Kenneth Clark identified the earlier image as a book illustration of a werewolf by Lucas Cranach the Elder,[14] although a closer similarity is with the small figure of the saint in Albrecht Dürer's 1496 engraving The Penance of St. John Chrysostom.[15]
Blake had earlier depicted Nebuchadnezzar on Plate 24 of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell naked on hands and knees carrying his crown.[16] Nebuchadnezzar is represented as being in the wilderness and is, according to Samuel Palmer, similar to an older German woodcut where "almost the very same figure appears. Many years had elapsed after making his own design before Blake saw the wood cut."[17] A further depiction was added to Edward Young's Night Thoughts Volume VII.[16]
The image of Nebuchadnezzar is connected in Blake with the apocalypse in which the three people that the biblical Nebuchadnezzar burned to death were united with the Son of God,[18] and this image is also connected to Blake's belief in four states of existence in which those burned are able to transcend into the final stage of human existence.[19] Also, Nebuchadnezzar's dream of a statue represents human history from the beginning until the Apocalypse,[20] and the image of Nebuchadnezzar's rule is connected to Blake's myth of Albion in The Four Zoas.[21]
Critical response
Alexander Gilchrist believed that "the metallic tinting of the moss-grown crags is rendered almost as successfully as in 'Newton', and the printing throughout the picture is well carried out, with none of the opaque oily surfaces which occur in some others of the series".[22]Dante Gabriel Rossetti commented: "Crawling on all fours in his shaggy insanity. The tawny beard trails across the left hand: the nails are literally 'like birds' claws', and the flesh tints very red and 'beefy'. The glaring eyes, too, have almost lost their human character. The background represents a thick jungle. A fine wild conception".[23] The image inspired a passage in the poem The City of Dreadful Night (1870s) by James Thomson (1834–1882):
After a hundred steps I grew aware
Of something crawling in the lane below;
It seemed a wounded creature prostrate there
That sobbed with pangs in making progress slow,
The hind limbs stretched to push, the fore limbs then
To drag; for it would die in its own den.
But coming level with it I discerned
That it had been a man; for at my tread
It stopped in its sore travail and half-turned,
Leaning upon its right, and raised its head,
And with the left hand twitched back as in ire
Long grey unreverend locks befouled with mire.
A haggard filthy face with bloodshot eyes,
An infamy for manhood to behold. – Canto XVIII, from line 13[24]
^The Early Illuminated Books. Morris Eaves, Robert N. Essick, Joseph Viscomi, David Bindman, 139, Princeton University Press, ISBN0-691-00147-2, ISBN978-0-691-00147-0
^Collins Baker, C. H. "The Sources of Blake's Pictorial Expression". 360. The Huntington Library Quarterly, Vol. 4, No. 3 (Apr. 1941), 359–67. "Blake's ... appropriation and adaptation from Durer's 'St. John Chrysostom' is well known: we can hardly doubt that the invention of his Nebuchadnezzar came about in this wise. The little crawling figure in the background of Durer's print caught his fancy, so that when he wanted an idea for Nebuchadnezzar he thought, 'Why, that's the very thing; but I will show the face.' Incidentally, that alteration and an attempt to exhibit the outcast King's emaciation, deplorably overtaxed Blake's anatomical knowledge." The print is Bartsch no. 63 Image
^Text of the City of Dreadful Night – the figure speaks in the following passage. The link between poem and image is the subject of Harper's article. See also Maunder, 127–28
References
Bentley, G. E. Jr. The Stranger From Paradise. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2003. ISBN0-300-10030-2
Glausser, Wayne. Locke and Blake: a conversation across the eighteenth century. Miami: University Press of Florida, 1998. ISBN0-8130-1570-7
Harper, George M. "Blake's "Nebuchadnezzar" in "The City of Dreadful Night". Studies in Philology, Vol. 50, No. 1 (Jan., 1953), 68–80
Lincoln, Andrew. "From America to The Four Zoas" in The Cambridge Companion to William Blake edited by Moriss Eaves, 210–30. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004. ISBN0-521-78677-0.
Butlin, Martin. The Paintings and Drawings of William Blake. 2 vols. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 1981.
February 27, 2023
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Nebuchadnezzar is a colour monotype print with additions in ink and watercolour portraying the Old Testament Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II by the English poet painter and printmaker William Blake Taken from the Book of Daniel the legend of Nebuchadnezzar tells of a ruler who through hubris lost his mind and was reduced to animalistic madness 1 and eating grass as oxen 2 Nebuchadnezzar Tate impression The Museum of Fine Arts Boston impression Probably printed in 1805 The Minneapolis Institute of Art impression Printed 1795 According to the biographer Alexander Gilchrist 1828 1861 in Blake s print the viewer is faced with the mad king crawling like a hunted beast into a den among the rocks his tangled golden beard sweeping the ground his nails like vultures talons and his wild eyes full of sullen terror The powerful frame is losing semblance of humanity and is bestial in its rough growth of hair reptile in the toad like markings and spottings of the skin which takes on unnatural hues of green blue and russet 3 Nebuchadnezzar was part of the so called Large Colour Prints a series begun in 1795 of twelve 43 cm 53 cm colour monotype prints of most of which three copies were made These were painted on millboard 4 after which the board was put through Blake s printing press with a sheet of dampened paper to make the prints After they were printed Blake and his wife Catherine added ink and watercolour to the impressions 5 It existed in four impressions copies now in Tate Britain in London the Museum of Fine Arts Boston 6 the Minneapolis Institute of Art 7 and a fourth which has been missing since 1887 8 Blake believed that Nebuchadnezzar was connected to the Christian apocalypse and to his personal view on the stages of human development Contents 1 History 2 Other versions 3 Critical response 4 Notes 5 References 6 Further readingHistory Edit Detail of woodcut by Lucas Cranach the Elder 1512 Detail of The Penance of St John Chrysostom engraving 1496 Nebuchadnezzar was adapted from an earlier print in Blake s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell 9 The plates for the Large Colour Prints and the first prints were made in 1795 but further impressions seem to have been printed in about 1805 10 In the late summer of 1805 Blake sold to Thomas Butts Jr eight impressions of the Large Colour Prints including the Tate Nebuchadnezzar for 1 1s each 11 John Clark Strange bought Butts s prints on 29 June 1853 and later acquired the rest of the collection that was sold to Henry George Bohn Although he originally wanted to produce a biography on Blake he later abandoned this idea after he learned of Gilchrist s biography However his journal was filled with his notes for the biography and contain many accounts from those who knew Blake excerpts from Blake s journal and analysis of Blake s work 12 In his journal he describes Nebuchadnezzar crawling on his belly naked covered with hair amp nails grown long eating grass What was singular was that Blake s conception was almost a facsimile of an ancient German print of the same subject and which design Blake had never seen 13 Kenneth Clark identified the earlier image as a book illustration of a werewolf by Lucas Cranach the Elder 14 although a closer similarity is with the small figure of the saint in Albrecht Durer s 1496 engraving The Penance of St John Chrysostom 15 Blake s relief etching of Nebuchadnezzar from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell c 1790 93Other versions EditBlake had earlier depicted Nebuchadnezzar on Plate 24 of The Marriage of Heaven and Hell naked on hands and knees carrying his crown 16 Nebuchadnezzar is represented as being in the wilderness and is according to Samuel Palmer similar to an older German woodcut where almost the very same figure appears Many years had elapsed after making his own design before Blake saw the wood cut 17 A further depiction was added to Edward Young s Night Thoughts Volume VII 16 The image of Nebuchadnezzar is connected in Blake with the apocalypse in which the three people that the biblical Nebuchadnezzar burned to death were united with the Son of God 18 and this image is also connected to Blake s belief in four states of existence in which those burned are able to transcend into the final stage of human existence 19 Also Nebuchadnezzar s dream of a statue represents human history from the beginning until the Apocalypse 20 and the image of Nebuchadnezzar s rule is connected to Blake s myth of Albion in The Four Zoas 21 Critical response EditAlexander Gilchrist believed that the metallic tinting of the moss grown crags is rendered almost as successfully as in Newton and the printing throughout the picture is well carried out with none of the opaque oily surfaces which occur in some others of the series 22 Dante Gabriel Rossetti commented Crawling on all fours in his shaggy insanity The tawny beard trails across the left hand the nails are literally like birds claws and the flesh tints very red and beefy The glaring eyes too have almost lost their human character The background represents a thick jungle A fine wild conception 23 The image inspired a passage in the poem The City of Dreadful Night 1870s by James Thomson 1834 1882 After a hundred steps I grew aware Of something crawling in the lane below It seemed a wounded creature prostrate there That sobbed with pangs in making progress slow The hind limbs stretched to push the fore limbs then To drag for it would die in its own den But coming level with it I discerned That it had been a man for at my tread It stopped in its sore travail and half turned Leaning upon its right and raised its head And with the left hand twitched back as in ire Long grey unreverend locks befouled with mire A haggard filthy face with bloodshot eyes An infamy for manhood to behold Canto XVIII from line 13 24 Notes Edit Myrone 2007 82 Nebuchadnezzar circa 1795 1805 Tate Retrieved on November 1 2008 Gilchrist 1998 408 09 a type of stiff board especially used to make book covers description Bentley 2003 158 59 and Wilson 67 MFA Boston Archived 24 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine Butlin 302 Minneapolis Institute of Arts Butlin 303 Blake Archive Butlin 303 Lincoln 2003 220 Wilson 67 Bentley 2002 191 Bentley 2002 493 quoted in Bentley 2002 496 The Early Illuminated Books Morris Eaves Robert N Essick Joseph Viscomi David Bindman 139 Princeton University Press ISBN 0 691 00147 2 ISBN 978 0 691 00147 0 Collins Baker C H The Sources of Blake s Pictorial Expression 360 The Huntington Library Quarterly Vol 4 No 3 Apr 1941 359 67 Blake s appropriation and adaptation from Durer s St John Chrysostom is well known we can hardly doubt that the invention of his Nebuchadnezzar came about in this wise The little crawling figure in the background of Durer s print caught his fancy so that when he wanted an idea for Nebuchadnezzar he thought Why that s the very thing but I will show the face Incidentally that alteration and an attempt to exhibit the outcast King s emaciation deplorably overtaxed Blake s anatomical knowledge The print is Bartsch no 63 Image a b Damon 1988 297 quoted in Bentley 2002 158 Frye 196 Frye 272 Frye 252 Frye 271 Gilchrist 1998 409 quoted in Harper 73 Text of the City of Dreadful Night the figure speaks in the following passage The link between poem and image is the subject of Harper s article See also Maunder 127 28References EditBentley G E Jr The Stranger From Paradise New Haven Yale University Press 2003 ISBN 0 300 10030 2 Damon S Foster A Blake Dictionary Hanover University Press of New England 1988 ISBN 978 0 87451 436 0 Frye Northrop Fearful Symmetry A Study of William Blake Princeton Princeton University Press 1990 ISBN 0 691 01291 1 Gilchrist Alexander The Life of William Blake reprint New York Dover Publications 1998 ISBN 0 486 40005 0 Glausser Wayne Locke and Blake a conversation across the eighteenth century Miami University Press of Florida 1998 ISBN 0 8130 1570 7 Harper George M Blake s Nebuchadnezzar in The City of Dreadful Night Studies in Philology Vol 50 No 1 Jan 1953 68 80 Lincoln Andrew From America to The Four Zoas in The Cambridge Companion to William Blake edited by Moriss Eaves 210 30 Cambridge Cambridge University Press 2004 ISBN 0 521 78677 0 Maunder Andrew Grace Moore Victorian Crime Madness and Sensation Ashgate Publishing Ltd 2004 ISBN 0 7546 4060 4 Myrone Martin The Blake Book London Tate Gallery 2007 ISBN 978 1 85437 727 2 Raine Kathleen William Blake London Thames and Hudson ISBN 0 500 20107 2 Wilson Simon Tate Gallery An Illustrated Companion 1990 Tate Gallery ISBN 1 85437 031 6Further reading EditButlin Martin The Paintings and Drawings of William Blake 2 vols New Haven Connecticut Yale University Press 1981 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nebuchadnezzar Blake amp oldid 1141146734, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
