 Many editions of the Elegy have contained illustrations , some of considerable merit , such as those among the Designs by Mr. Bentley , for Six Poems by Mr. T. Gray ( 1753 ) . But the work of two leading artists is particularly noteworthy . Between 1777 @-@ 8 William Blake was commissioned by John Flaxman to produce an illustrated set of Gray ’ s poems as a birthday gift to his wife . These were in watercolour and included twelve for the Elegy , which appeared at the end of the volume . Another individual book was created in 1910 by the illuminator Sidney Farnsworth , hand written in italic script with a mediaeval decorative surround and more modern @-@ looking inset illustrations . 
