Pity (c. 1795) is a colour print on paper, finished in ink and watercolour, by the English artist and poet William Blake, one of the group known as the "Large Colour Prints". Along with his other works of this period, it was influenced by the Bible, Milton, and Shakespeare.[2] The work is unusual, as it is a literal illustration of a double simile from Macbeth, found in the lines:
Like other members of the group, it is a monotype produced by printing from a matrix consisting of paint on gessoedmillboard, with each impression then finished by hand. Blake could obtain up to three impressions from a single painting by this unusual means. Three such impressions survive of Pity. A fourth, in the British Museum, was an early trial of the design from a different matrix, as it is smaller than the others.[4]
Martin Butlin wrote that this colour print is one of the most inspired of all 'literal' illustrations of a text in the history of art.[5] In fact, "pity and air", two words of Shakespeare's verses, are also two motifs used by Blake in this picture: a female cherub leans down to snatch the baby from its mother. According to Blake's biographer Alexander Gilchrist, the print "is on a tolerably large scale, a woman bending down to succour a man stretched out at length as if given over to death."[6]
Pity is seen as in opposition to Blake's print The Night of Enitharmon's Joy (c. 1795) — which shows a Hecate surrounded by fantastic creatures and macabre elements of a nightmare — because it provides a "possibility of salvation" in the fallen world through pity.[7] Both prints refer to Macbeth. As Nicholas Rawlinson has noted, the play was undergoing a major revival in popularity at the time, being performed nine times in 1795.[8]
It is a personification[9] of a Christian element[10] that some critics argue was a negative virtue for Blake, since pity is associated with "the failure of inspiration and a further dividing"[11] and also "linked by alliteration and capitalization".[12] It is also a part of Blake's mythology, in which a sexually frustratedTharmas becomes "a terror to all living things", although the emotion inherent in him is a pity.[13] Other Blake characters have this feeling, and his mythology is developed between the confrontation of a feminine "Pity" and a masculine fiery, as happens in the brutal suppression of desire in Urizen.[14]
The slightly retouched version at the Yale Center for British Art
The print exists in four versions from two different matrices. The most elaborate and best-known version of the print is in the Tate Gallery, London, sometimes described as the only finished one. It was presented by W. Graham Robertson to the gallery in 1939 and is catalogued as "Butlin 310".[16]
A unique "proof print" is in the British Museum (Butlin 313). It is "significantly smaller than the final version of the design" and depicts the supine figure "partially covered in vegetation" in the form of sweeping fronds of long grass.[17]
Another version of the image is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This is not as elaborately worked as the Tate print. It was donated by Mrs. Robert W. Goelet in 1958.[18]
A lightly retouched version at the Yale Center for British Art also exists, somewhat yellowed by varnish. According to The William Blake Archive, "The characteristics of the colour printing indicate that this impression is the first one printed from the larger matrix in 1795. The second impression in this printing is Pity in the Tate Collection (Butlin 310); the third impression is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Butlin 311)."[19]
^Metropolitan Museum of Art (1980). The painterly print: Monotypes from the seventeenth to the twentieth century [exhibition], p. 84.
^Bindman, David (1977). Blake as an Artist. Phaidon. p. 106.
^Blake Archive.org, "The Large Color Printed Drawings of 1795 and c. 1805"
^Blutin, Martin. The Evolution of Blake's Large Color Prints of 1795, in William Blake: Essays for S. Foster Damon, ed. Alvin Rosenfeld (Providence: Brown University Press 1969), p. 109.
^Gilchrist wrote "a man" because he looked at a version of the print without colour. Gilchrist, Alexander (1863). Life of William Blake, "Pictor ignotus": With selections from his poems and other writings Macmillan and Co., p. 253.
^Butlin, Martin (1990). William Blake 1757-1827. Tate Gallery Collections, V, London
^Davis, Michael (1977). William Blake: a new kind of man. University of California Press. ISBN0-520-03443-0. p. 78
^Eaves, Morris (2003). The Cambridge Companion to William Blake. Cambridge University Press. p. 217. ISBN0-521-78677-0.
^O'Neil, Patrick M. (2004). Great World Writers: Twentieth Century. Juvenile Nonfiction. p. 1708.
^All Butlin numbers from the Blake Archive pages on each work
^The British Museum The Large Colour Prints / Pity.
^Metropolitan Museum of Art, Pity, William Blake (British, London 1757–1827 London
^Morris Eaves, Robert Essick, Joseph Viscomi, et al The William Blake Archive
External linksedit
Pity by William Blake. Page on Tate Gallery official website.
Tate Learning. Artists in Focus: William Blake on Tate's official website.
April 08, 2024
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Pity c 1795 is a colour print on paper finished in ink and watercolour by the English artist and poet William Blake one of the group known as the Large Colour Prints Along with his other works of this period it was influenced by the Bible Milton and Shakespeare 2 The work is unusual as it is a literal illustration of a double simile from Macbeth found in the lines PityArtistWilliam BlakeYear1795TypeColour print finished in ink and watercolour on paper 1 Dimensions42 5 cm 53 9 cm 16 7 in 21 2 in LocationTate Gallery LondonThe Metropolitan Museum version of the design And pity like a naked new born babe Striding the blast or heaven s cherubim horsed Upon the sightless couriers of the air Macbeth 1 7 21 23 3 Like other members of the group it is a monotype produced by printing from a matrix consisting of paint on gessoed millboard with each impression then finished by hand Blake could obtain up to three impressions from a single painting by this unusual means Three such impressions survive of Pity A fourth in the British Museum was an early trial of the design from a different matrix as it is smaller than the others 4 Contents 1 Interpretations 2 Versions 3 References 4 External linksInterpretations editMartin Butlin wrote that this colour print is one of the most inspired of all literal illustrations of a text in the history of art 5 In fact pity and air two words of Shakespeare s verses are also two motifs used by Blake in this picture a female cherub leans down to snatch the baby from its mother According to Blake s biographer Alexander Gilchrist the print is on a tolerably large scale a woman bending down to succour a man stretched out at length as if given over to death 6 Pity is seen as in opposition to Blake s print The Night of Enitharmon s Joy c 1795 which shows a Hecate surrounded by fantastic creatures and macabre elements of a nightmare because it provides a possibility of salvation in the fallen world through pity 7 Both prints refer to Macbeth As Nicholas Rawlinson has noted the play was undergoing a major revival in popularity at the time being performed nine times in 1795 8 It is a personification 9 of a Christian element 10 that some critics argue was a negative virtue for Blake since pity is associated with the failure of inspiration and a further dividing 11 and also linked by alliteration and capitalization 12 It is also a part of Blake s mythology in which a sexually frustrated Tharmas becomes a terror to all living things although the emotion inherent in him is a pity 13 Other Blake characters have this feeling and his mythology is developed between the confrontation of a feminine Pity and a masculine fiery as happens in the brutal suppression of desire in Urizen 14 Some critics see a connection between Pity and the hypnotic and helpless state of William Butler Yeats The Wind Among the Reeds 1899 15 Versions edit nbsp The slightly retouched version at the Yale Center for British ArtThe print exists in four versions from two different matrices The most elaborate and best known version of the print is in the Tate Gallery London sometimes described as the only finished one It was presented by W Graham Robertson to the gallery in 1939 and is catalogued as Butlin 310 16 A unique proof print is in the British Museum Butlin 313 It is significantly smaller than the final version of the design and depicts the supine figure partially covered in vegetation in the form of sweeping fronds of long grass 17 Another version of the image is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art This is not as elaborately worked as the Tate print It was donated by Mrs Robert W Goelet in 1958 18 A lightly retouched version at the Yale Center for British Art also exists somewhat yellowed by varnish According to The William Blake Archive The characteristics of the colour printing indicate that this impression is the first one printed from the larger matrix in 1795 The second impression in this printing is Pity in the Tate Collection Butlin 310 the third impression is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art New York Butlin 311 19 References edit Pity Photograph Encyclopaedia Britannica Online Consulted on 2 Oct 2010 Metropolitan Museum of Art 1980 The painterly print Monotypes from the seventeenth to the twentieth century exhibition p 84 Bindman David 1977 Blake as an Artist Phaidon p 106 Blake Archive org The Large Color Printed Drawings of 1795 and c 1805 Blutin Martin The Evolution of Blake s Large Color Prints of 1795 in William Blake Essays for S Foster Damon ed Alvin Rosenfeld Providence Brown University Press 1969 p 109 Gilchrist wrote a man because he looked at a version of the print without colour Gilchrist Alexander 1863 Life of William Blake Pictor ignotus With selections from his poems and other writings Macmillan and Co p 253 Butlin Martin 1990 William Blake 1757 1827 Tate Gallery Collections V London Rawlinson p 48 Gilchrist Alexander 1907 The Life of William Blake John Lane The Bodley Head p 479 Chesterton G K 2005 William Blake Cosimo Inc ISBN 1 59605 016 0 p 118 Butlin Martin 1978 William Blake Tate Gallery p 56 Rawlinson p 171 Davis Michael 1977 William Blake a new kind of man University of California Press ISBN 0 520 03443 0 p 78 Eaves Morris 2003 The Cambridge Companion to William Blake Cambridge University Press p 217 ISBN 0 521 78677 0 O Neil Patrick M 2004 Great World Writers Twentieth Century Juvenile Nonfiction p 1708 All Butlin numbers from the Blake Archive pages on each work The British Museum The Large Colour Prints Pity Metropolitan Museum of Art Pity William Blake British London 1757 1827 London Morris Eaves Robert Essick Joseph Viscomi et al The William Blake ArchiveExternal links editPity by William Blake Page on Tate Gallery official website Tate Learning Artists in Focus William Blake on Tate s official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Pity William Blake amp oldid 1215308607, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
