Songs of Experience: The Little Girl Lost (second plate); The Little Girl Found 1789 - 1825

William Blake created "Songs of Experience: The Little Girl Lost; The Little Girl Found" using etching and watercolor. This print is divided into two registers separated by text, each framed by delicately twisting tendrils. In the upper panel, a girl lies prostrate between two trees, rendered with fluid, almost ghostly brushstrokes, that suggest a state of vulnerability. Below, the titular girl stands next to a guardian lioness, which appears to safeguard her. Blake uses the formal structure of the diptych to juxtapose states of innocence and experience. The mirroring of the girl's figure in both panels emphasizes the passage of time and the transformation of the subject. The sinuous lines and ethereal washes destabilize any singular interpretation. The artwork resists closure, inviting viewers to engage in an ongoing questioning of innocence and the loss of it.