Wood engraving on paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
Illustrations to Thornton’s ‘Pastorals of Virgil’
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/william-blake-39" aria-label="More by William Blake" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">William Blake</a>
Thenot Remonstrates with Colinet Lightfoot in Distance
Presented by Herbert Linnell 1924
actions: expressive
actions: postures and motions
adults
agriculture and fishing
agriculture, gardening & fishing
animals: mammals
arm / arms raised
classical
crook
dog - non-specific
herdsman / herdswoman
herdsman / herdswoman, shepherd / shepherdess
hill
landscape
literature (not Shakespeare)
literature and fiction
man
objects
people
Philips, Ambrose, ‘Imitation of Virgil’s First Eclogue’
running
sheep
standing
talking
Thornton, Robert John, ‘The Pastorals of Virgil ...’
Virgil, ‘Eclogues’
work and occupations
<p>Samuel Palmer was the most important of Blake’s followers, known as the Ancients. Palmer first met Blake in 1824. He described these illustrations to an imitation of the First Eclogue by the Roman poet Virgil as ‘visions of little dells, and nooks, and corners of Paradise’. Palmer’s art was particularly influenced by them.</p><p>These prints appealed to the Ancients because they were the result of Blake’s experiments with a new medium; he had never engraved on wood before. Even at the age of sixty-four he wanted to make further explorations in his art.</p><p><em>Gallery label, August 2004</em></p>
paper print wood engraving
24 November 2003 – 22 November 2004
2004-11-22
10 November 2003
2003-11-10
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2003-11-24
William Blake the Painter at Work
Collection based display
15 June 2005 – 14 December 2005
2005-12-14
15 June 2005 – 25 September 2005
2005-09-25
2005-06-15
Dulwich Picture Gallery (London, UK)
15 October 2005 – 14 December 2005
2005-12-14
2005-10-15
Djanogly Art Gallery (Nottingham, UK)
2005-06-15
Graham Sutherland
Loan-out
19 October 2007 – 11 January 2009
2009-01-11
19 October 2007
2007-10-19
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2007-10-19
Visionary Landscapes
Collection based display
13 February 2009 – 30 October 2010
2010-10-30
13 February 2009 – 30 October 2010
2010-10-30
2009-02-13
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2009-02-13
Visionary Landscapes
Collection based display
1 November 2011 – 21 October 2012
2012-10-21
1 November 2011 – 19 February 2012
2012-02-19
2011-11-01
State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts (Moscow, Russia)
2011-11-01
Blake Exhibition
Loan-out
11 September 2019 – 2 February 2020
2020-02-02
11 September 2019 – 2 February 2020
2020-02-02
2019-09-11
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2019-09-11
William Blake: The Artist
Exhibition
Thenot Remonstrates with Colinet; Lightfoot in the Distance
image: 33 × 73 mm
Presented by Herbert Linnell 1924
<div class="pbodytext">
<span class="text13">Samuel Palmer was the most important of Blake’s      followers, known as <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/t/the-ancients" title="Glossary definition for 'The Ancients'"><span>the Ancients</span></a>. </span><span class="text16">Palmer first      met Blake in 1824. He described</span><span class="text13"> </span><span class="text17">these illustrations to an imitation of the </span><span class="text18">First</span><span class="text0"> </span><span class="text18">Eclogue</span><span class="text17"> by the Roman poet Virgil as      ‘visions</span><span class="text13"> </span><span class="text19">of      little dells, and nooks, and corners of Paradise’. Palmer’s art       was particularly </span><span class="text13">influenced by them. </span>
</div>
<div class="para2">
<span class="text13">
<br/> </span>
</div>
<div class="pbodytext">
<span class="text19">These <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/print" title="Glossary definition for 'Print'"><span>prints</span></a> appealed to the Ancients because they      were the result of Blake’s experiments with a new <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/m/medium" title="Glossary definition for 'Medium'"><span>medium</span></a>; he had      never <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/e/engraving" title="Glossary definition for 'Engraving'"><span>engraved</span></a> on wood before. Even at the age of sixty-four he wanted to      make </span><span class="text13">further explorations in his art. </span>
</div>

Display caption
2004-08-18T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/blake-thenot-remonstrates-with-colinet-lightfoot-in-the-distance-a00114" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>A00114</span></a> [from] <b>Illustrations to Thornton's <i>Pastorals of Virgil</i></b>
1821/<i>c.</i>1830 [<a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/blake-frontispiece-thenot-and-colinet-a00111" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>A00111</span></a>-<a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/blake-and-unyokd-heifers-loitering-homeward-low-a00127" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>A00127</span></a>; complete]
<br/></p>
<p><span>A00111</span>-A00127/-
<br/>Seventeen wood-engravings on commercial thin wove paper
<br/>Presented by Herbert Linnell 1924
<br/>PROVENANCE John Linnell: by descent to Herbert Linnell
<br/>LITERATURE [Henry Cole] ‘Fine Arts, <i>The Vicar of Wakefield, With thirty-two Illustrations</i>. By W. Mulready, R.A. van Voorst’, <i>Athenaeum</i> 21 January 1843, p.165; Gilchrist 1863, 1, pp.270–5; A.H. Palmer <i>Life and Letters of Samuel Palmer</i> 1892, p.15; Russell <i>Engravings</i> 1912, pp.97–101 no.30; Keynes <i>Bibliography</i> 1921, pp.211–14 no.778; Geoffrey Keynes <i>Illustrations of William Blake for Thornton's Virgil</i> 1937; Keynes <i>Engravings</i> 1950, pp.15–16, series repr. pls.1–XVII; Raine 1968, 11, pp.279–80; Bentley <i>Blake Records</i> 1969, pp.266–8, 271–3, 582; Keynes <i>Blake Studies</i> 1971, pp.136–42, 215–16; Easson and Essick, 1, 1972, pp.48–50 no.X, series repr.; Bentley <i>Blake Books</i> 1977, pp.627–30 no.504; Iain Bain, David Chambers and Andrew Wilton <i>The Wood Engravings of William Blake for Thornton's Virgil</i> 1977, published with restrikes (see nos.90–106); Bindman 1977, pp.204–5; Bindman <i>Graphic Works</i> 1978, p.485, nos.602–18, series repr.; Paley 1978, p.69; Essick <i>Printmaker</i> 1980, pp.224–33; Butlin 1981, pp.532–5
<br/></p>
<p>These are separate impressions from Blake's original wood-blocks, probably made by Edward Calvert (1799–1883), one of <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/t/the-ancients" title="Glossary definition for 'The Ancients'"><span>the Ancients</span></a> who gathered round Blake in his later years and also a friend of John Linnell, for Linnell who actually owned the blocks. For a more recent set of impressions see <a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/blake-thenot-and-colinet-t02115" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>T02115</span></a>-<a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/blake-and-unyokd-heifers-loitering-homewards-low-t02131" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>T02131</span></a>.
<br/>
<br/>Blake's <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/w/wood-engraving" title="Glossary definition for 'Wood engraving'"><span>wood-engravings</span></a> were commissioned by Dr Robert John Thornton through John Linnell, whose doctor he was. Blake first met Thornton in September 1818 and by September 1820 Blake was actually working on the <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/e/engraving" title="Glossary definition for 'Engraving'"><span>engravings</span></a> which were commissioned for the third edition of Dr Thornton's <i>The Pastorals of Virgil ... adapted for Schools</i>, published in 1821; the first unillustrated edition had been published in 1812. Beside these seventeen engravings after his own designs for Ambrose Philip's ‘Imitation of Virgil's First Eclogue’, Blake engraved on copper five busts of Theocritus, Virgil, Caesar Augustus, Julius Caesar and Epicurus, and a group of five medallion heads ‘From Antique Coins’. In addition, he is credited with the <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/d/drawing" title="Glossary definition for 'Drawing'"><span>drawing</span></a> of ‘The Giant Polypheme’ after Poussin that was engraved by Byfield; however, Linnell wrote in his Journal on 18 October 1820 that he himself ‘Began a small Drawing on a wood Block of Polypheme (from N. Poussin) for Dr Thornton’ and that he was ‘to receive a guinea for it’ (Bentley 1977, p.629). The <i>Pastorals</i>
contain 232 illustrations in all.
<br/>
<br/>The existence, if not the present location, of twenty of Blake's original drawings for the illustrations to Philip's ‘Imitation’ is known (see Butlin 1981 no.769; nos.1–4, 6–11, 13–17 and 19–20 are repr. pls.999A, 999A, 1000–1014). Of Blake's designs no.4, ‘Colinet and Thenot stand together conversing, their sheep behind’ (Pierpont Morgan Library, New York) was not engraved. No drawing for the frontispiece, which is larger in format and shows Thenot and Colinet, has been recorded. Some of Blake's other engravings where lost as a result of Dr Thornton's dissatisfaction; indeed, only a chance conversation between Sir Thomas Lawrence, James Ward, Linnell and others at Mr Ader's prevented all of them from being recut by a commercial engraver. Three, corresponding to the drawings Butlin nos.769 <i>14–16</i>, did suffer this fate (repr. Bentley 1969, pl.41). The design no.769 <i>2</i> was also recut (repr. <i>Athenaeum</i> 21 January 1843, p.165, and Keynes 1971, pl.35) but in this case Blake's original engraving was retained. In the end Thornton published Blake's engravings with the disclaimer that ‘they display less of art than genius, and are much admired by some eminent painters’.
<br/>
<br/>Apart from the frontispiece, Blake cut his designs four on a block and proofs of eight of the designs from two blocks are in the British Museum and elsewhere. When they came to be printed in the book they were indeed printed four to a page but simple captions were placed under each design; this entailed cutting each design by about  3/16× 3/8 (4×9).
<br/>
<br/>On 16 September 1825 John Linnell bought the blocks from Dr Thornton for two guineas and, according to a manuscript ‘List’ of Linnell's ‘Letters and Papers’ by John Linnell jr (in the Ivimy MSS), ‘E. Calvert printed them for J.L. &amp; self, &amp;c (certain number of imprints of the set) (J.L. jnr &amp; brother printed a few of the blocks, but did not finish the set)’. Calvert's printings were apparently done soon after Blake's death, both for Calvert himself and Linnell. As the set of impressions presented to the Tate Gallery by Henry Linnell in 1924 is complete, it was presumably one of those printed by Calvert.
<br/>
<br/>The blocks themselves were rediscovered in 1937, still in the possession of Linnell's descendants, by Sir Geoffrey Keynes, who had electrotypes made from them and printed from these electrotypes for his edition of <i>The Illustrations of William Blake for Thornton's Virgil</i> published that year. The blocks were sold from the Linnell estate at Christie's on 2 December 1938 and presented by the National Art-Collections Fund to the British Museum (accession nos.1939-14-1-2 to 18).
<br/>
<br/>These tiny <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/w/woodcut" title="Glossary definition for 'Woodcut'"><span>woodcut</span></a> illustrations, though untypical of Blake's art as a whole, were the most influential of all his works on other artists by way of the work of the Ancients, particularly Calvert and Samuel Palmer. As Samuel Palmer wrote (A.H. Palmer 1892): ‘I sat down with Mr. Blake's Thornton's <i>Virgil</i> woodcuts before me, thinking to give their merits my feeble testimony. I happened first to think of their sentiment. They are visions of little dells, and nooks, and corners of Paradise; models of the exquisitest pitch of intense poetry. I thought of their light and shade, and looking upon them I found no word to describe it. Intense depth, solemnity, and vivid brilliancy only coldly and partially describe them. There is in all such a mystic and dreamy glimmer as penetrates and kindles the innermost soul, and gives complete and unreserved delight, unlike the gaudy daylight of this world. They are like all that wonderful artist's works the drawing aside of the fleshy curtain, and the glimpse which all the most holy, studious saints and sages have enjoyed, of that rest which remaineth to the people of God’. The influence of the designs extended well into the twentieth century, for instance in the early <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/e/etching" title="Glossary definition for 'Etching'"><span>etchings</span></a> of Graham Sutherland.
<br/>
<br/>These works were formerly inventoried as nos.3866 i–xvii.
<br/>
<br/><span>A00114</span> <b>Plate 4: Thenot Remonstrates with Colinet; Lightfoot in the Distance.</b></p>
<p>Wood-engraving 33×73 (1 5/16×2 7/8) on paper 35×75 (1 3/8×2 15/16)</p>
<p>Colinet declares that it will take all day to recite his woes and that as a result Thenot's flocks will be neglected. Thenot replies that his man Lightfoot can guard them while ‘I'tween whiles, across the plain will glance mine eyes’.
<br/>
<br/>The drawing for this design belongs to Mr and Mrs Arthur Vershbow, Newport, Massachusetts (Butlin no.769 <i>3</i>, pl.1000). The small figure of Lightfoot in the distance recalls those of the messengers in the illustration to Job, ‘And I only am escaped alone to tell thee’ (<a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/turner-entrance-of-calais-harbour-a01116" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>A01116</span></a>).
</p><p>
<br/><b>Published in:</b>
<br/>Martin Butlin, <i>William Blake 1757-1827</i>, Tate Gallery Collections, V, London 1990
<br/></p>

Catalogue entry
2004-09-22T00:00:00
catalogue-entry
CATALOGUE_ENTRY
actions: expressive actions: postures and motions adults agriculture and fishing agriculture, gardening & fishing animals: mammals arm / arms raised classical crook dog - non-specific herdsman / herdswoman herdsman / herdswoman, shepherd / shepherdess hill landscape literature and fiction literature (not Shakespeare) man objects people Philips, Ambrose, ‘Imitation of Virgil’s First Eclogue’ running sheep standing talking Thornton, Robert John, ‘The Pastorals of Virgil ...’ Virgil, ‘Eclogues’ work and occupations