‘And Unyok’d Heifers, Loitering Homewards, Low’ Possibly 1821 - 1977

Curator: This is William Blake's engraving, ‘And Unyok’d Heifers, Loitering Homewards, Low’. The Tate holds this small image, only 33 by 77 millimeters. Editor: It feels massive, though! The mood, that sky... It's like looking into a whole world condensed. A pastoral drama, almost biblical in its starkness. Curator: Blake's technique—that intricate cross-hatching—gives the impression of texture, of the weight and fatigue of the animals and figure. It speaks to the labor involved in agricultural life. Editor: Yes, and that light! It's hope, isn’t it? Even in the weariness, there’s a promise in the sunset. Makes me want to write a poem about tired cows and the comfort of home. Curator: Consider how Blake, a printmaker, elevates the everyday. The process itself becomes a commentary on the value of simple labour. Editor: I love that. So, what seemed like a small engraving opens up to questions of labor, hope, and the bigness inside small things. Beautiful.