Twenty-Seven Drawings by William Blake Being Illustrations for Paradise Lost, Comus, and the Bible

TWENTY-SEVEN DRAWINGS

                           by WILLIAM BLAKE




                         TWENTY-SEVEN DRAWINGS

                           by WILLIAM BLAKE


                        BEING ILLUSTRATIONS FOR

                         PARADISE LOST, COMUS

                             and THE BIBLE


                            CARL J. SMALLEY

                               McPHERSON
                                KANSAS


                  Copyright, 1925, by Carl J. Smalley
                           McPherson, Kansas

                      Published in November, 1925

                      Of this edition 1050 copies
                             were printed



                 Printed by The Western Lithograph Co.
                          at Wichita, Kansas
                    In the United States of America



FOREWORD


William Blake was born in London in 1757, and in 1827 he departed for
“that undiscovered country” which all his life he had wished to see.
Throughout the century which has passed since Blake’s death, much has
been written about him. During the past few years a goodly number of our
greatest men of letters have issued books on his life, art, and
writings. Many of his writings have gone through several editions, but
it was only within the past year that his complete works were issued,
and that in a limited edition, which was soon off the market. While from
time to time volumes of reproductions of a part of Blake’s masterly
engravings and drawings have been issued, a large portion of his finest
creations, including the “Paradise Lost” series, has not been accessible
in reproductions.

It is a pleasure to be able to present in this volume, the “Paradise
Lost” drawings, as well as the series for Milton’s “Comus”, and a group
inspired by “The Bible”. All are reproduced from water color drawings in
American museums.

We are indebted to the Fogg Art Museum for the privilege of reproducing
“The Angel Binding the Dragon”; to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for
“She Shall be Called Woman”, “The Flight into Egypt”, “The Wise and
Foolish Virgins”, and “The Angel of the Revelation”. All the remaining
drawings have been reproduced through the kind permission of the Boston
Museum of Fine Arts.

                                                             _C. J. S._




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS


The Promise of the Redemption

The Creation of Eve

Satan Watching Adam and Eve

Raphael Conversing with Adam and Eve

The Downfall of the Rebel Angels

The Temptation of Eve

The Expulsion from Eden

The Prophecy of the Crucifixion

Adam and Eve Sleeping

“Starlight”--Comus Holds the Enchanting Cup

Comus Disguised as a Rustic Addressing the Lady in a Wood

The Brothers, as Described by Comus, Plucking Grapes

The Attendant Spirit Habited Like a Shepherd Meets the Two Brothers in
the Wood

The Magic Banquet

The Brothers Overcome Comus

Sobrina Disenchanting the Lady

The Parents Welcome Their Children

She Shall be Called Woman

David and Goliath

The King of Babylon in Hell

The Vision of Ezekiel

The Plague

The Flight into Egypt

The Wise and Foolish Virgins

The Woman Taken in Adultery

The Angel of the Revelation

The Angel Binding the Dragon




ILLUSTRATIONS FOR PARADISE LOST


[Illustration: _The Creation of Eve_]

[Illustration: _Satan Watching Adam and Eve_]

[Illustration: _Raphael Conversing with Adam and Eve_]

[Illustration: _The Downfall of the Rebel Angels_]

[Illustration: _The Temptation of Eve_]

[Illustration: _The Expulsion from Eden_]

[Illustration: _The Prophecy of the Crucifixion_]

[Illustration: _Adam and Eve Sleeping_]


ILLUSTRATIONS FOR COMUS

[Illustration: _“Starlight”--Comus Holds the Enchanting Cup_]

[Illustration: __Comus Disguised as a Rustic Addressing the Lady in a
Wood_]

[Illustration: _The Brothers, as Described by Cornus, Plucking Grapes_]

[Illustration: _The Attendant Spirit Habited Like a Shepherd Meets the
Two Brothers in the Wood_]

[Illustration: _The Magic Banquet_]

[Illustration: _The Brothers Overcome Comus_]

[Illustration: _Sobrina Disenchanting the Lady_]

[Illustration: _The Parents Welcome Their Children_]


ILLUSTRATIONS FOR THE BIBLE

[Illustration: _She Shall be Called Woman_]

[Illustration: _David and Goliath_]

[Illustration: _The King of Babylon in Hell_]

[Illustration: _The Vision of Ezekiel_]

[Illustration: _The Plague_]

[Illustration: _The Flight into Egypt_]

[Illustration: _The Wise and Foolish Virgins_]

[Illustration: _The Woman Taken in Adultery_]

[Illustration: _The Angel of the Revelation_]

[Illustration: _The Angel Binding the Dragon_]


                   *       *       *       *       *


                           IN THE MOUNTAINS

                    A book of fine reproductions of
                 Birger Sandzen’s prints of the Rocky
                              Mountains.

                        20 Lithographic Plates

                            Introduction by
                          William Allen White

                   Quarto, printed on Old Stratford
                  Paper, bound in gray boards, $3.00

                  Limited autographed edition of 125
                   copies, bound in Library Buckram,
           containing an original signed lithograph, $15.00

                               SMALLEY’S

                       McPHERSON  ·   ·  KANSAS