{"product_id":"slapende-herder-en-vliegend-figuur-william-blake","title":"Slapende herder en vliegend figuur - William Blake","description":"\u003cp\u003eA striking engraving by William Blake from his illustrations for Edward Young's Night Thoughts, depicting a sleeping shepherd and a descending spectral figure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis engraving is a plate from William Blake's ambitious project to illustrate Edward Young's poem, Night Thoughts. The work displays Blake's characteristic approach to combining text and image, where the visual elements act as a commentary on the philosophical themes presented in the verse. The composition features a sleeping shepherd resting beside his flock, a motif that suggests pastoral innocence, while a spectral, elongated figure descends from above. This ethereal being holds a pair of shears, a symbolic reference to the fragility of life and the inevitability of mortality, which aligns with the sombre tone of Young's text.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlake utilised a refined engraving technique to render the figures with a sense of weightlessness and fluidity. The drapery of the descending figure flows upwards, creating a sense of movement that contrasts with the stillness of the shepherd below. The integration of the printed text within a central box allows the image to frame the poem, creating a unified page design that was typical of Blake's illuminated books. The monochromatic palette focuses the viewer on the line work and the anatomical precision of the figures, reflecting the artist's training and his interest in classical forms.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis piece provides a window into the late eighteenth-century British tradition of book illustration, where poets and artists collaborated to create immersive reading experiences. Blake's interpretation of Night Thoughts remains one of his most extensive undertakings in the medium of print. The work captures the tension between the physical world and the spiritual realm, a recurring theme in his broader body of work. By stripping away colour, the artist emphasises the graphic quality of the scene, allowing the stark contrast between the sleeping man and the hovering spirit to convey the poem's meditation on human suffering and the passage of time.\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":58364923314511,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58364952052047,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58364952084815,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58364952117583,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58364952150351,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58364952183119,"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":58364952215887,"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":58364952248655,"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":58364952281423,"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":58364952314191,"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":58364952346959,"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":58364952379727,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/Slapende-herder-en-vliegend-figuur_Poster_CompositorV1_1785596140189.jpg?v=1785601344","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.co.uk\/products\/slapende-herder-en-vliegend-figuur-william-blake","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}