{"product_id":"night-the-second-william-blake-1","title":"Night the Second - William Blake","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn original engraving by William Blake from his 1797 illustration series for Edward Young's poem, Night Thoughts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis engraving originates from William Blake's ambitious project to illustrate Edward Young's poem, The Complaint, and the Consolation; or, Night Thoughts. Commissioned by the publisher Richard Edwards in 1795, the project required Blake to create hundreds of designs surrounding the text. This specific plate, Night the Second, features a complex allegorical composition that reflects Blake's personal visual language.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the image, the personification of Time is depicted as a large, reclining figure holding a scythe, a traditional attribute of mortality. The figure is surrounded by smaller, ethereal beings that represent the themes of death and friendship mentioned in the title. Blake employs a delicate, linear style, typical of his work in the late eighteenth century. The figures are rendered with a sense of weightlessness, their forms interacting with the surrounding text block in a manner that integrates typography and imagery. The composition is balanced, with the large, bearded figure of Time providing a stable base for the more fluid, smaller figures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlake's approach to the Night Thoughts project was unconventional. He drew his designs directly onto the margins of the copper plates, allowing the text to sit within the centre of his illustrations. This method created a dialogue between the printed word and the visual narrative. While the original commission was intended to be a multi-volume set, only the first volume was completed and published in 1797. This print captures the specific aesthetic of that publication, showcasing Blake's ability to interpret philosophical and theological texts through his own imaginative lens. The monochromatic nature of the engraving allows the viewer to focus on the precision of the line work and the symbolic arrangement of the figures, which remain characteristic of Blake's broader body of work during this period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/mariano-ceballos-rijdend-op-een-stier-francisco-de-goya\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eMariano Ceballos rijdend op een stier - Francisco de Goya — Francisco Goya\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/portrait-of-grand-duchess-olga-nikolaevna-karl-bryullov\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003ePortrait of Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna - Karl Bryullov — Karl Bryullov\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"William Blake","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58366337057103,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58366419960143,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58366419992911,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58366420025679,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58366420058447,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58366420091215,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58366420123983,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58366420156751,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58366420189519,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58366420222287,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58366420255055,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58366420287823,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/Night-the-Second_Poster_CompositorV1_1785611278518.jpg?v=1785616832","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.co.uk\/products\/night-the-second-william-blake-1","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}