January 2009

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Yesterday evening a sale exhibition of William Blake prints and books opened at antiquarian booksellers Henry Sotheran Limited in Sackville Street, London, where there was Pimms and strawberries despite the very unseasonal weather outside. Among the items was a very rare etching from the ‘Songs of Innocence; an original pencil drawing of Paulo and Francesca from Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy’; and a complete set of prints from ‘The Book of Job’, described in the catalogue as ‘Blake’s major single achievement as a printmaker after the illuminated manuscripts’. A three-feet-long etching, engraving and drypoint of Chaucer’s Canterbury Pilgrims is a captivating sight and there is much that you would expect from the great man’s fantastic imagination. But if I was in the market for a print or two it would have to be either ‘Circle of Thieves. Agnolo Brunelleschi attacked by a six-footed serpent’ (pictured) or, from ‘The Book of Job’ the image of the devil about to ‘smote Job with sore Boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head’, if only for the fascination the subject held for me during religious instruction lessons in school. And as you would expect, Blake gives a good smote.

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