Ode on a Distant prospect of Eton College by William Blake 3x Collotypes Trianon

Description: A set of three original Collotypes with hand stencilled colour, after William Blake's illustrations for the poems of Thomas Gray. From "William Blake's Watercolour Designs for the Poems of Thomas Gray". Published by Trianon Press in 1972 as a limited edition (518 copies) superb quality facsimile of the original work. Three illustrations for "Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College" by Thomas Gray, originally painted in 1798 (see details below). London: Trianon Press, 1972. 3 volumes, folio, with 116 colour facsimile leaves reproduced by collotype and hand-stencil colour, the text of the poems reproduced from copper-plate with 3 additional printings to reproduce Blake's pencilling's and the tone of the paper. Edition limited to 518 copies in all (including 100 copies for Paul Mellon personally. The 116 water-colour illustrations to Thomas Gray's poems are among Blake's major achievements as an illustrator. They were commissioned in 1797 by Blake's friend, the sculptor John Flaxman, as a gift for his wife Ann, to whom Blake addressed the poem that ends the series. Blake cut windows in large sheets of Whatman paper and mounted in these windows the texts of Gray's poems from a 1790 octavo edition published by John Murray. Blake then drew and coloured his designs surrounding the letterpress texts. Although listed by William Michael Rossetti in his catalogue of Blake's drawings and paintings published in the 1863, and 1880 editions of Alexander Gilchrist's Life of William Blake, the Thomas Gray illustrations were virtually unknown until their rediscovery by Herbert Grierson in 1919.The Trianon Press reproductions are recognized as the finest examples of the art of facsimile reproduction; working from the originals in Paul Mellon's collection, each leaf is faithfully hand-coloured through stencils to achieve an astonishing exactitude. The Times Literary Supplement stated that nothing like these books had ever been printed before and that it was highly unlikely that they could be printed again. Bentley, Blake Books, p385.The three collotypes depict Father Thames, the Fury of Passions and the Painful Family of Death.Collotypes, with hand stencilled colours, on heavy, cream wove paper, the text printed from copper-plate in black ink on a separate sheet of laid paper, applied to the image sheet. The size is the same as the original watercolours, the text is in the same typeface (see details below).Each sheet float mounted in an 'ebonised' wood frame with gilt detail and single mount.Image size 41.5cm x 32.5cm, frame size 62cm x 51.7cm. in all three.Collotypes all in excellent original condition, with strong fresh colour, frames in good condition, with some slight nicks and scratches, mounts with some very light and even age toning (please see photos). Delivered ready to hang to UK locations. Please note, for overseas locations they will be delivered WITHOUT GLASS. Comes with our Certificate of Authenticity - guaranteed authentic and original.Overseas buyers please see delivery charges to your location through the eBay Global Shipping Program. William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. His visual artistry led 21st-century critic Jonathan Jones to proclaim him "far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced. While he lived in London his entire life, except for three years spent in Felpham, he produced a diverse and symbolically rich œuvre, which embraced the imagination as "the body of God" or "human existence itself". Although Blake was considered mad by contemporaries for his idiosyncratic views, he is held in high regard by later critics for his expressiveness and creativity, and for the philosophical and mystical undercurrents within his work. His paintings and poetry have been characterised as part of the Romantic movement and as "Pre-Romantic”. The Poems of Thomas Gray, "Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College." Were illustrated by Blake between 1797 & 1798, in watercolour with pen and black ink and graphite on moderately thick, moderately textured, cream wove paper. The original dimensions were Height: 419 mm (16.49″); Width: 324 mm (12.75″). “Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College" is an ode, a lyric poem that develops its theme with dignified language. Thomas Gray (1716 – 1771) wrote the poem in 1742, and R. Dodsley published it in London in 1747. .....Standing at a distance--measured in years as well as feet--the speaker observes Eton College, its grounds, and its environs, which include Windsor Castle across the Thames River. It was in these environs that the speaker spent his "careless childhood", he says, without worry or care--a "stranger yet to pain". .......The sight gladdens him, as if he is about to return to his youth to enjoy a "second spring". Addressing the Thames as if it were a person, the speaker asks which young fellows now swim in the river ("cleave . . . thy glassy wave"), which ones keep captured linnets (birds of the finch family), and which ones chase rolling hoops or play a game of ball. .......Of course, some of the boys are hard at work with their studies; others--"bold adventurers" who spurn any limits on their time--run forth to discover new amusements. Half the fun is in anticipating these amusements. Such boys take advantage of their robust health, their clever wit, and their imagination to bring cheer to their lives. .......Are they concerned about the problems and difficulties they will face in everyday adult life? Not at all. They give their attention to the here and now, to the joy of the moment. .......Meanwhile, around them, "black Misfortune" and other ministers of human fate wait for them--wait to stir in them anger, fear, shame, "pining love", jealousy, envy, despair, and sorrow. Some will rise with their ambitions only to fall in scorn and infamy. The death of loved ones, poverty, aging--these too they will come to know. How swiftly happiness passes. But for now, let them remain oblivious of their coming trials, the speaker says. After all, "where ignorance is bliss / 'tis folly to be wise".

Price: 165 GBP

Location: Leyburn

End Time: 2024-11-23T18:03:38.000Z

Shipping Cost: 94.96 GBP