Dimensions image: 36 x 76 mm
Curator: William Blake's miniature wood engraving, "Thenot and Colinet Folding their Flocks together at Sunset," presents an intriguing pastoral scene. Editor: There's a striking contrast between the figures and the dark, dense background. It creates a feeling of both intimacy and a kind of looming, almost ominous atmosphere. Curator: Indeed. The figures, ostensibly shepherds, evoke classical ideals of Arcadian innocence, draped in flowing garments with idealized forms. Note the contrast to the angularity in the fold. Editor: I wonder if that's intentional – a commentary on the artificiality of pastoral ideals against the rougher realities of nature. Sheep often function as symbols of innocence. Curator: A plausible reading. The composition, with its emphasis on linear patterns and contrasting textures, invites a deeper consideration of Blake's aesthetic vision. Editor: Blake often imbued his images with complex allegorical meaning, so the shepherds may also represent more abstract ideas about care and stewardship. Curator: The tension between form and content, typical of Blake, makes this small engraving a powerful statement. Editor: A reminder that even seemingly simple images can hold layers of meaning waiting to be unfolded.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/blake-thenot-and-colinet-folding-their-flocks-together-at-sunset-a00124
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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. 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. Gallery label, August 2004
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