‘Songs of Innocence and of Experience’: ‘Infant Sorrow’ after 1794

Curator: This is William Blake's "Infant Sorrow," part of his ‘Songs of Innocence and of Experience’ collection, currently residing at the Tate. It's an etching, isn't it? The dimensions are rather intimate, only about 112 by 97 millimeters. Editor: Yes, that's right. The first impression is of a melancholic scene, almost claustrophobic, with heavy lines that create a feeling of entrapment. Curator: The poem above the image speaks of the infant's struggle, born into a world of danger and constraint, immediately bound by swaddling clothes. We see this mirrored in the visual language. Editor: Precisely. Swaddling was thought to instill the importance of the family unit, and the cloth might become a symbol of familial control and the loss of personal freedoms as the child matures. Blake uses the mother's figure, usually a symbol of comfort, in a rather ambiguous way. Curator: Blake’s integration of text and image, as evidenced here, creates a powerful resonance. It's as if the words become part of the visual field, deepening the emotional weight. A powerful statement, condensed into a tiny frame. Editor: Indeed, a small work that offers a vast space for reflection on the nature of birth, freedom, and the human condition.